CHS has been implementing new tardy protocols and rigidly sticking to them. While the strict rules may be good for preventing skipping, what about those of us who aren’t skipping but genuinely can’t make it on time? With a student body of almost 3,000 students and a campus big enough to fit them, there are certain classes throughout the school that students struggle to reach in the five minutes provided. For example, attempting to make it to Spanish after having Chemistry at the other end of the school. Or maybe even getting to English from the Band, Orchestra, or Choir rooms. With the additional incentive of punishments correlating to a certain amount of tardies, making such long journeys has become even more stressful.
I decided to walk a route I’ve heard plenty of grievances about: science to language and vice versa.
I decided to walk from the back of the downstairs science hallway to my French class in the upstairs language hallway. When the bell rang after seminar, I joined the crowd of students journeying to their next class. There is a very well-known intersection beside the math hallway and true to its stories, it was crowded and hard to get through. There were moments when we were barely moving. I’ve also noticed times when it’s been at a complete standstill.
Now, I am a certified speed-walker even when there’s no rush. So, I walked the route like how I would walk to any of my classes. Believe it or not, I didn’t make it. It took me a total of six minutes to get from one point to the other.
It’s also important to note the struggle with the bathrooms. Most students are using the entirety of their five minutes just to make it to their classes, leaving them with no time for the bathroom. With the added 15-15 rule, (no bathroom the first and last 15 minutes of class) the window for using the bathroom is limited to the middle of class. This leads to class disruptions and the denial of requests to use the bathroom from some teachers.
If you are seemingly late to class every day because of the distance between your two classes, ask an administrator to walk the route with you.
Along with detentions, parent phone calls, and the possibility of no longer being exempt from exams, Friday School is a somewhat new addition. Though Friday School has existed in the past, it’s grown stricter this year. Having one tardy in First Period can land you in Friday School where it was previously three and above. From 2:45 to 3:45, Friday School is an hour-long commitment after school. But it doesn’t just affect the students. Those who can’t drive harbor a reliance on their parents to pick them up after their hour has finished. This is impossible for some families and a struggle for others. While there are plenty who have no problems in doing this, those who do have to find a way to get out of their usual responsibilities.
There’s only so much leniency students can be granted, but not every kid is willingly tardy in favor of skipping or walking with friends.
