By Devon Barnes 

This year, J.P. McCaskey High School is undergoing a few changes. There’s the football
stadium renovations, homecoming’s location, and a few more— but, one thing a few students
are left wondering about is the ever-so-slight schedule change.

Start time has been pushed forward by ten minutes, though the reason for this isn’t exactly
known. Consequently, dismissal has been pushed forward by four, and additional adjustments
have been made to other parts of the schedule to account for this.

These changes are negligible at best and a little bothersome at worst for teachers and students
already accustomed to McCaskey’s original schedule (which has already endured some change
prior due to the introduction of FLEX). Though, that isn’t the only subject of this article.
There’s one thing that hasn’t changed, and it’s leaving some students just a little bit perplexed:
travel times.

More specifically, the allotted period of time given to students who have to travel between
classes. McCaskey is home to two campuses: JP, and East. While some students’ schedules
will have them at one building for the entire day, this isn’t the case for most. A lot of students
thus have to “travel”, a term aptly used to describe this across-campus phenomenon. So, the
concept starts simple: the passing period is already four minutes, why not double it so that kids
who travel can get to class on time? There is a good reason behind this. In the ideal scenario in
which a student takes the time to pack up before the travel bell will ring, they should be able to
navigate hallways, stairwells, and Tornado Alley in time so long as no pit stops are taken. Even
then, though, there is debate around whether four minutes is even enough for walking alone.
It works, but the scenario described above is just a little too fantastical. A shift towards realism is
required.
First and foremost, every day is unpredictable. Not terribly so, and it is doable as long as you
plan ahead, but it does need to be considered. While a decent amount of students who find
themselves late when travelling are guilty of taking a detour or two. One I’ve heard from many of
my peers is using the bathroom, which is incredibly justifiable given McCaskey’s 10 minute rule.
During the first and last 10, students cannot be issued a pass outside of class; while this rule is
fine on its own, it creates an even bigger influx of students who have to use the bathroom during
classtime. Now, there is nuance to this, as not every student is using the bathroom as efficiently
as they could be, and I have heard from a few peers themselves that this is intentional— but
that’s article material in itself. Consequently, this leads to travelers taking the easier way out in
exchange for tardiness.

Additionally, many teachers aren’t done teaching by the time the travel bell rings; students must
decide between leaving when the bell rings — while still not being guaranteed to reach the
actual class itself on time — or doing their very best to save time later by losing time in the
moment to receive the material necessary.

Either way, something is lost in this process. Factor that in with packed hallways, the time it
takes to check IDs, and a very narrow travel door at JP; it can really only be expected that
students who travel will semi-consistently arrive late. Of course, that isn’t to say that the
decisions of faculty in this matter are totally mindless and without any point— the cynical tone is
simply borrowing from the mindset of many peers I’ve heard from.
The real question is: what can be done to alleviate the issue, rather than purely criticizing it?
After reviewing all of the factors, it is clear that the system itself needs a rework. Many teachers
have resorted to mild apathy; they ask why you are late, you tell them you were traveling, and
you are simply sent off to your seat. As of right now, it works, and there are most definitely more
pressing issues to be addressed. But, it doesn’t have to be this way. In order for students to
realize the weight of tardiness, it must be treated as something of substance— an issue to be
solved, not a fact of life.

All in all, though, if you try your best, you can make it to class relatively on time. I’ve asked a few
of my friends and other students for travel tips in order to avoid the hassle of arriving late (on
both you and the teacher). It requires some conscious effort, and isn’t too difficult of a fix. Things
like using the bathroom during class, packing up earlier, and not spending too much time
stopping to talk to friends or other leisurely detours can save you a lot of time.
If it were a little easier, though, more students would be hesitant to resign themselves to total
apathy. In the spirit of this year’s change at McCaskey, why not see what we can do here, too?