Editorial: Early dismissal from the gym

The vast majority of gym class teachers end their classes around ten to 15 minutes before the end of the period to allow their students to change out of their gym clothes.  With students usually not taking that long to change their clothes, they used to be able to leave the gym a few minutes early and go onto their next class.  However, there has been a new rule implemented at Schreiber this year that restricts students from leaving the gym before the end of the period, even if they are finished changing.  While this may not seem like a big deal, the rule is unreasonable and has led to a number of problems. 

The newly-implemented rule forces students to stay in either the gym or the locker room for as long as 15 minutes, waiting for the bell to ring.  When students have gym last period, they must spend this time in the locker room because it is a safety hazard to have individuals in the gym while the divider is being closed, which happens at the end of the day.  This causes discomfort among students, as the locker rooms are extremely hot, especially in the winter.  On top of this, students have also just finished gym class and are already overheated as it is. 

In addition, when students are finished with gym, they usually look for a drink to stay hydrated.  Due to the fact that there is not a working water fountain in the gym, students who forget to bring their own water are unable to rehydrate themselves while they are waiting for the period to end due to this new rule. 

The rule that students must remain in the gym or the locker rooms until the bell rings was put into effect with safety reasons in mind, as the school does not want students to roam the hallways during periods.  

While this is understandable, there are places that students can go after gym to hang out for the remainder of the period rather than staying in the halls.  They can go to the lunchroom, the commons, the library, or outside; the same places that they go when they have a free period.  Or, if a student has gym last period, they can just leave school when they are done. 

Some students, deciding that the new rule makes no sense, choose to ignore it altogether and sneak out of their gym classes early.  This has created a problem for the gym teachers who are put in the position of trying to control this behavior.  

Thus, The Schreiber Times believes that this rule is not only unfair to students, but also to the gym teachers, who are working hard to create a relaxed environment for students to feel comfortable.  

While the inconveniences that come with being held in the gym until the end of the period may seem to be minor ones to onlookers, the entire student body and some faculty members are no doubt affected by these problems. Furthermore, this situation can be easily fixed by getting rid of the new rule and, in doing so, Schreiber could return to becoming a little more pleasant for all.