Traditionally, seniors are given the “privilege” of walking BSM’s halls sans hall pass second semester. It’s a nice gesture, but I’m pretty sure I’ve been doing that without negative consequence for years. A privilege many of us would enjoy, among others, is the ability to arrive past first hour if we don’t have a class.

I cannot fathom the reason for disallowing seniors with a free first hour the privilege of sleeping in and arriving late. Those with 7th hour free have always been allowed to leave campus, but there are far more reasons to allow us to come in late: more sleep, less traffic, fewer people filling up the library on “I Day,” and I wouldn’t have to squint straight at the sun for 20 miles. The difference to me between arriving at 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. is a good half-hour of driving, and a lot more when there’s fresh snow.

Although probably unfeasible due to our ridiculously short lunch periods, the ability to go off-campus for even a half-hour would be a welcome change. After five years of Taco Tuesday, all I want is a decent sandwich. (I refuse to bring a lunch but insist on being given the privilege to leave and get it.) Ideally, we’d be allowed to leave at any point in the day when we don’t have class. It’s not the school’s responsibility to monitor our activities or ensure our safety; I suspect the reason for disallowing these privileges is the administration’s prevailing assumption that all high school students are up to no good––which is true––but BSM is a school, not a daycare.

Perhaps the ability to more completely manage time would help students prepare for college schedules. Many, if not most, public schools allow their students to check in and out of campus at least over lunch hours, without significant problems. I would also appreciate the ability to dine outdoors throughout the year, to enjoy seasonal weather––this would not only increase my happiness, but alleviate the overcrowding some lunch periods experience and increase the student body’s affinity with nature.