As everyone at school knows by now, AHS has introduced plus periods into its schedule, thus completely changing our class times and daily structure. When someone says “plus periods” it is more often than not met with a groan. To be honest, I couldn’t really care less about plus periods. Though they may not benefit me, if they benefit other people, then fine. But what I think is an incredibly stupid move is shortening passing periods PLUS permitting the return of the tardy tables.

I know passing periods have been shortened by only one minute, and that may not sound like a lot, but for someone who has to go all the way from upstairs E-hall to upstairs A-hall, that extra minute made all the difference. Is AHS’s goal to get more D-hall students? Because if so, they’re doing a great job! So kudos to you. I, on the other hand, would prefer not to sit in D-hall during lunch or after school, since that is time when I can actually unwind, even though the former is shortened by nine minutes.

We can’t control where our classes are held. We could be going to the classroom next to us for our third period, or to the classroom on the other side of the school. Students shouldn’t be penalized and disciplined just because there was traffic where they were coming from. Since the beginning of the year, there have been traffic jams all around the school because people don’t understand the concept of one-way hallways, and those students who had no control over what happened have still been disciplined.

I’m not saying “make the passing periods longer”, because with our new plus period schedule that would be incredibly complicated, but I am saying this – AHS, pick one or the other. It’s either your weird new schedule OR the tardy tables. Because having both can be incredibly unfair and complicated to students.