Let’s face it, SCPS is just smacking new band-aids on problems and not fixing the overarching situation- school starts too flipping early.  Reinforcing tardy sweeps and initiating detention time for the first tardy won’t make students show up to school any earlier, it’ll just cause the students to feel like they are in jail.  All students can pretty much relate that we’d be on time if the access roads weren’t such a nightmare.

In order to reach a solution we must open our eyes and realize the real problem lies with the access roads.  The roads have remained the same since 1983, and Lake Mary now has the biggest population in the school’s history with around 3,000 students.  Yes, maybe the two way street wasn’t a problem for the 1,000 students in 1983 but WAKE UP- this is the 21st century! You can’t get to school on time if you have a 30 minute wait on a 1/4 mile stretch of asphalt.  Unless the roads will expand to meet the student population, it’s not fair to cast all the blame on the students when in reality we are trying our best to make ends meet.

Frantic students with Chick-Fil-A in their hands and buttery remnants from chicken minis on their fingers whip into the parking lot in hopes of securing “their” spot but end up getting caught behind a sea of parents who have not cut the umbilical cord from their child and feel the need to personally escort them to school.  Then, when you walk into school, trying to collect yourself and put your life together within seconds, the “tardy policy” ultimately makes you ten minutes late when in reality you would have just missed Kotkin saying the oh so famous words GOOO RAMS!  Junior Kylie Black stated, “The parking lot can be hectic with people trying to make it to school on time, especially with new drivers who aren’t fully comfortable with that type of reckless driving.” Black agrees that the layout of the school parking lot is tricky and she stresses that you must drive very carefully on the two-way road.  Freshman Marissa Vinacco shared that her mother drives her to school to avoid the oh so dreadful bus ride but claims that she does get caught in a line with students who drive as well as other mothers.  C’mon, freshmen, everyone knows you ride the bus freshmen year… hop on it.

Lastly, the students have lost another battle… the warning bell.  Freshmen have a one sided opinion since they never experienced this minute bell but for the rest of the school, it’s a true personal problem.  Junior Emma Padgett shared “The “no warning bell” is an ugly thing; I’m either late to class or the first person there.”  The buzz around the school has been that students no longer have time to go to their locker, the bathroom or take advantage of social unwinding time from the vigorous AP courses that consume their day.  Some students may venture to say that the cease of the warning bell has allowed them to arrive to class on time without apologizing a hundred times for bumping into people on the way. Needless to say, there are mixed, but strong opinions on the warning bell.

However, as students we are suppose to be prepared for college and then the real world.  Therefore, complaining about the tardy policy and or warning bell just won’t cut it.  As soon to be adults, we must pick ourselves up from our boot straps and accept the situation given at hand… Arrive to school on time.  If that means one less pit stop to chickfila then that’s what it takes but your college acceptance letter will thank you later.