New changes, new challenges

Mixed emotions about the new school schedule

With all the changes that Ben Davis has had this year, one of the biggest changes has been the new school schedule. Students and staff don’t know whether to be happy or mad about the change and have different reactions to it.

“I love it because we get to sleep more, but the day seems so much longer,” senior Bryan Gonzales said.

Getting extra sleep is a huge benefit for many of our students. Gonzales said he had a really hard time being on time to school last year and had many tardies due to that. This year he hopes it will be different and will have less tardies. Although he gets more sleep, he can feel that the day has become longer and drags on.

“My classes seem to never end,” Gonzales said.

But for senior Maricruz Laurabaquio, there are no benefits to the new schedule. After school she has to rush home, eat and try to get some homework done before going to her part-time job. Our late release is becoming a problem for many working students.

Many complain of having to change work hours and not getting paid as much as they used to because the new schedule doesn’t give them enough time to get to work. Although Laurabaquio recently started working, she is realizing how difficult it is going to be this year.

“I think if we still got out at two like last year I wouldn’t be so rushed,” Laurabaquio said.

The new schedule is not only affecting students, but also teachers. Teachers love the new schedule and feel like they have a lot of time on their hands in the morning.

“I LOVE the new schedule,” French teacher Brayton Mendenhall said.

Mendenhall loves the time that he gets before students arrive to school. He gets time to do extra things like grade papers and get in his teaching zone. He also enjoys having his meetings and professional development in the morning instead of the afternoon. The only thing he has an issue with is having a longer afternoon.

“It’s a give and take thing. I love the extra hour in the morning, but I rather be done with school early,” Mendenhall said.

Math teachers Jacob Goodman and Bethany Mauser are also enjoying the new schedule. They get some extra time to do things in the morning and feel that students seem to be more awake.

“Students seem more up in the morning but they start getting tired towards the end of the day,” Mauser said.

For Goodman and Mauser, work time to do preparations for the next day use to be in the afternoon but now they have to get things done in the morning. That has been one of the biggest changes for them due to the schedule.

“I like working in the afternoon and now I leave it for the morning and sometimes I feel a little anxious that I won’t have enough time,” Mauser said.

With this being our third time getting school hours switched, most people would start getting tired of it, but students and teachers love the new schedule and the only thing they have to complain about is the longer afternoon. Getting out at 3:20 p.m. is not something that people enjoy, but will soon get used to.