Having our Hamilton campus extend wider with the IH bungalows being set was already a hassle to deal with. But, right when we thought it couldn’t get any more heinous, it was decided abruptly that the quad would be taken under construction, taking away the main pathway that students took on their way to class. Now, students are forced to navigate a sliver of space on the left of the A building, causing traffic to pause for a few seconds before slowly continuing.
To test this setback, students Evelyn Lopez-Onate and Tamsin Dial-Spencer, on January 22nd, 2026, timed how long it would take for them to arrive to class during the chaotic passing period. Their fourth period is in Ms. Pivaro’s class, one of the farthest bungalows in the IH area, and their 7th period is in Ms. Vaca’s, a class located on the second floor of the Tech building. They arrived to 7th period right as the bell had just rung, showing how their travel took about 7 minutes.
Why exactly does this matter? Well, being cautious of our attendance is crucial. It shows your determination to show up to class and be present at all times. The first couple minutes of class might not immediately begin with instruction, but it surely does prepare students for the upcoming ideas that are yet to be presented. Having the time to take out materials such as our chromebooks, notebooks, and pencils is advantaged right as class starts.
SAS teacher Dr. Adegbesan, otherwise known as Dr. A, feels like both teachers and students have to work together with what is going on. “I take tardiness very seriously,” he claims. “I don’t like students coming late to class because even before the bell rings, I want to start my instruction.” It’s clear that he’s adamant on taking advantage of every minute of class in order to ensure his students have the maximum ability to grasp instructional material.
He’s not alone in feeling this way. In fact, AMPA teacher Ms. Rhude stated that “the kids who are late are the people who don’t value being on time.” She believes that making it to class on time is totally doable, unless you’re walking from third floor Brown to IH. Her solution? Just walk faster.
Referring back to AMPA teacher Ms. Pivaro, the teacher whose classroom is one of the farthest on campus, she witnessed a change within the students’ attendance. She’s seen that there has been a higher rate of students becoming late to her class because of the construction, but it’s lower now than it was in December. In my opinion, this was perhaps because of students slowly adapting to the change of the school’s layout. Though, she proceeded to state that, “when [she] started marking them late, all of a sudden they were on time.”
But, what about the students who genuinely are determined to get to class on time, but the construction prohibits them from this and they can’t easily “walk faster” as Ms. Rhude expects? I request that teachers become lenient with the timing in which their students arrive. Ms. Pivaro’s solution to this is that “[students] have one minute, and after that [she] mark[s] them late.” I believe this is the best way that both students and staff can provide a fair understanding of one another.
That being said, this is all dependent on the honor system, a practice where individuals are trusted to follow rules without direct supervision. It is encouraged that teachers should trust their students that they were actually trying to get to class on time rather than goofing off with their friends in the hallway. It’s undeniable that some students may try to abuse this privilege, but I trust that teachers are able to form their own educated opinions on the honesty of their attendance.
