In Schreiber, it is a well-known rule that freshman and sophomore students are prohibited from leaving campus during the school day, while juniors and seniors have freedom to leave school during any of their off periods. However, despite the efforts of the administration and security guards, underclassmen constantly break the rules in place and go off campus.

There are many ways to get around the system in place, as students are able to sneak down the stairs by the tennis courts and exit campus through the Monfort parking lot.  Thus, the school essentially wastes precious resources on attempting to enforce this rule. Furthermore, it is a fact that some students simply don’t get their ID’s checked because they look older than their peers, so the system in place at the current moment isn’t entirely effective.

A number of students and faculty members are not in favor of the current rule. Supporters of a closed campus for underclassmen argue that the administration is protecting the security of the students. However, starting from the young age of 11, many sixth graders walk on their own or with friends on Main Street Fridays after school.  This demonstrates that high school-aged students are responsible and should also be given this privilege.

Additionally, allowing all students to go off campus may actually make them more responsible. Having a set time for a lunch break where you can leave school and get lunch is a very similar situation to the kind of lifestyle students may eventually get when they have jobs.

If students can learn to budget their time adequately and account for the period it takes them to walk to wherever they want to go, order, and pay for their food, they will quickly learn more about time management and will certainly be able to use this skill to their advantage later in life.

Another reason that restrictions on off-campus privileges should be repealed is the reality that many students are not able to bring lunch from home every day, and they are not able to purchase school lunches due to dietary limitations, such as serious allergies or intolerance to certain substances that are commonly found in foods on the lunch menu, such as lactose or gluten. Additionally, students may have difficulty paying the fee to order for delivery, so eating out or going home may be the only option.

In conclusion, The Schreiber Times strongly believes that all rules preventing Schreiber freshmen and sophomores from leaving campus during the school day should be removed, as it does not allow students to grow into responsible adults.

It is completely unfair that students who are only one year younger than those who can leave campus should not have more freedom during their unstructured time.