Along with any new school year comes a cavalcade of changes, from all new teachers to class changes, every year feels like a new adventure. However, every now and then a change comes about that makes school worse. Students showing up to school on the first day of the school year were met with the introduction of two new systems designed to make the school more efficient: FlexTime Manager and E-Hallpass.

 The former of the two came with an additional change, a new and “improved” one hour lunch. During this new lunch, students are given the opportunity to meet with teachers, to complete any missing assignments, or receive any help they need. In addition, students are free to go about the building at their own pace, meeting with clubs, or just enjoy themselves. A welcome change to be sure but with some bad consequences as well.

With these changes, however, we have seen the hallways become more gridlocked than 95 on Labor Day weekend. It seems that everyday people are crowding the halls leaving behind a sea of trash in their wake when the bell rings. Even using the bathroom during lunch has become an endeavor. I can’t even walk into a bathroom without running into a mob. 

With the implementation of E-Hallpass, using the bathroom has become even more restrictive than in previous years. Students are forced to use the bathroom in under seven minutes before school security starts to look for them, forcing many to squirm in their seats while waiting to use the restroom. Some even forgo the use of the school restroom entirely. Who can blame them? Even if you’re Usain Bolt, you’d get there just to stand in line, just like the D.M.V.  If I knew using the bathroom would be timed this year I would have started bringing prune juice to school. 

Even if students decide to use E-Hallpass, they are often forced to wait until the restrooms are no longer at “max capacity” further limiting the number of students using the restrooms during class hours; restrooms are packed to the brim during lunch. 

With all new policies there is both good and bad, but with all the effects that these new policies are having on our school it makes some wonder, is it worth it?  “I like the whole hour lunch idea, but I really don’t like being forced into some kind of club or activity. I like having the option, but not being forced into something. Also, the e-hall pass system is very janky and constantly breaks/doesn’t work the way it’s supposed to,” said Kaylee Kirk, junior.  With all the problems we’ve had so far, it just makes me think that maybe it would be better to go back to how we used to be.