Empty Spaces

Blaire Bradford, Staff Writer
October 7, 2010
Filed under News

What many student thought were glitches in scheduling were actually planned by the districts. Changes with the Ben Barber schedules left many students with gaps between classes and time to kill.

Ben Barber courses were changed to 2 1/2 hours this year while classes on campuses remained at 90 minutes. As a result, many students were left with gaps in their schedules. The difference in class time as well as an extra 20 minutes used to get from each destination gave students breaks that lasted anywhere from 45 minutes to two hours.

Students are expected to use those breaks to study and focus on classwork.

But what are student really doing during their spare time when they’re not in class? Students like junior  Erica Williams rarely use their time to get ahead of their classes. Instead of studying or completing homework assignments, Williams admits that her spare time is preoccupied with texting friends, eating at fast food restaurants and simply “chillin.”

“My TCC history class is first block, so I have an extra 40 minutes before class,” Williams said. “If I’m not using that time to sleep, I’m most likely going to Taco Bell or Sonic to get some food.”

Williams said that having so much time has expanded her bad habit of procrastination and will eventually increase the amount of money she uses because of the constant food trips and driving from Summit to TCC as well. Even though Williams has a logical excuse to leave campus earlier than usual, it is not allowed, which makes her hesitant to leave because of the consequences. Students caught going off campus without permission could lose their MISD parking sticker.

For those who don’t drive, the choice is easy. Freshman Alissa Larson rides the shuttle bus to and from Ben Barber and is still able to squeeze out about 30 minutes. Time is nothing that Larson can complain about because her Ben Barber courses are more interesting and appealing to her than a regular high school course.

“Ben Barber classes are a lot better because we do less homework and more activities,” Larson said. “My sign language class is probably the highlight of my day.”

Usually, the students who follow the rules don’t leave campus early, but instead hang out in the commons at Summit. But what about the kids who have free time and are already at Ben Barber? A perfect place to pass time has been specially set up for the kids at Ben Barber called the Cube. The lounge is filled with colored tables, sitting areas, and bean bags. Students are allowed to eat and listen to music while inside. Although it may come across as an area meant for relaxation, the Cube is actually a place for studying and researching.

“Me and my friends just use the Cube as a down time spot, like a place to just chill in between classes,” Myleika Bomer said. “I’ve never actually used the place to study.”

The Cube is often crowded but lots of teachers are there to help any students in need. Kids can use their laptops and Macbooks, making it very useful to get their work done (after jamming to music and munching on snacks).

School has finally transformed into a place where teenagers actually want to have the help and organization of a benefitting schedule. All aspects of this year force students to become more independent and self-sufficient. The only thing that students at Summit High School asked for last year was longer passing periods between classes and shockingly, they got what they wanted.