Open campus policies would benefit Aurora High School

Let’s face it: High School is stressful. In a recent survey conducted with Globe Newswire, 45% of the tens of thousands of teens that answered say they are stressed all the time. On average, in the United States, students spend around six and a half hours in school every day for five days. That’s almost thirty three hours a week! With all of the weight being pushed upon our backs from school to work to homework to eventually college, high school students need a breather from time to time. No, I’m not calling for the purge of all homework or the destruction of our textbooks, but instead for a fresh idea for Aurora which has benefited other schools.

Schools such as Beachwood High have open campus privileges for sophomores, juniors, and seniors with a GPA of 2.5 or higher. Sophomores can leave during lunch hours while Juniors and Seniors can leave at lunch and study hall. Schools in France also obtain open campus privileges and have proven to be successful.

The only time in which we are given the option is during midterms and finals-- only six days of the entire year. Less than 30% of schools are open to these opportunities, and that could possibly be a factor into why students feel stressed and confined during education hours.

If other schools are able to make a use out of open campus, then why shouldn’t we?

Open campus lunches come with a variety of advantages for high school students such as myself. We have the opportunity to learn responsibility and interaction outside of school. If students are capable of managing our time to get to school on schedule, they should also be capable of coming back to school on time during open campus hours. When schools have full faith in students, students in return will feel empowered to make the right decisions in the future. It would also allow students to become used to open campus policies like the ones they have in college.

This can also give students the option to study or finish up some homework on time. In certain circumstances, students are unable to complete homework or study properly due to outside school activities or work. Once they get home, they have no desire to put homework on their to-do list. A misconception made by many is that students are too lazy to do their homework and prefer to play Fortnite instead. When students have more time to complete assignments, they have a likelier chance of doing so due to the fact that they don’t feel rushed.

A problem that aligns with being confined in the same cafeteria is the not-so-nutritious foods served at lunch. Every main menu item is either drenched in grease or coated in breading. Not to mention the vending machine items aren’t much of a saving grace either. Offering open campus during lunch time gives students chances to eat from places in which they serve healthier foods. Schools contradict themselves by having health education courses yet fail to serve healthy lunches.

In another perspective, open campus privileges allow students to ditch school, but if students are aware of the consequences of leaving school outside of open campus hours, that would not be a problem. Open campus should be a privilege, not a right, just live driving, working, and living in a mansion. Certain things in life are only attainable if the hard work is put in. Bad decisions take certain privileges away, but it doesn’t mean those who abide the rules should have to suffer the same consequences.

Another underlying issue is driving. When everyone is rushing out of school at once to drive to Starbucks, the parking lots are going to be the equivalent of bumper cars. Considering the tight spaces in between the lots, cars have little room to maneuver out. The amount of cars packed into each lot multiplies the chaos by a million. The school does not need to panic about the amount of fender benders in the parking lots.

To solve this issue, certain driving rules need to be put into place. For example, seniors can be let out of class five or so minutes early to leave before the others do. This can also be determined by the color of one’s parking pass. A grace period should also be put into place so students are not rushing back to get to class.

To sum up, open campus policies should be provided for the students of Aurora High School because it would teach students responsibility, would allow students to eat from healthful places, and would give students the proper time to study and complete assignments.