As the second semester of the school year begins, student’s indicate a desire for change within our school and the Wake County Public School System (WCPSS).

Many students wish for changes to be made to the transition period between classes.

“I definitely think that the time between classes should be lengthened because not everyone is trying to intentionally skip,” junior Mia Ouellette said. “It’s a big school. People are walking across from the fourth floor down the hallway on the first and then punishing us with after-school detention.”

Some students find difficulty navigating between hallways between class periods.

“There’s a lot of traffic jams, people fighting, and it’s just really too much,” freshman Ja’Miya Conrad-Peoples said. “I can’t get to my class, and it has been on me because I’m always being late or someone being late.” 

Similarly, students dislike tardy sweep policies.

“I hate the tardy sweeps,” senior Aamir Taylor said. “Sometimes I’m just normally walking to my class and not even stopping, and I get caught in the sweep, so I think they need to add two minutes, so we can all get to class on time.”

Senior Jack Dubois feels tardy sweeps do not serve as an effective solution.

“I feel like if there is a problem with tardies, you need to be stricter about the amount of tardies that qualify for in-school suspension,” Dubois said. “The tardy sweeps just punish people who get lucky, not the repeat offenders who are really the problem.”

Some students believe that emphasis should be placed on extracurricular activities.

“I would like to see the workload changed,” senior Lydia Keys said. “I believe that there should be much less homework assigned in order for students to have time to do extracurriculars, hobbies, be social and just have some down time. If each class gives a large homework assignment, that’s hours of work on top of the school day.” 

Freshman Ella Garlington wants major changes to be made to the schoolwide schedule.

“I don’t know if this is something that can happen, but I don’t really like that the core periods last for 90 minutes because I think that is a really long time,” Garlington said. “I would rather do my subjects for the whole year so that I don’t forget them.”

Senior Julien Sierra agrees with shortening daily class periods.

“From what I have experienced over the years, you could learn more from just an hour rather than how long our classes are,” Sierra said. “I tend to learn better on half-days because I am not just sitting there with my mind wandering.”

Amongst all these resolutions, students remain hopeful changes will be made towards policies regarding mental health.

“I would like to see a change in how a student with mental illness is treated by teachers,” junior Allie Dubiel said. “Things like depression, anxiety and ADHD, are not accommodated. Students beholding a condition like that are held to the same standards and are punished when they cannot give 100 percent even when they mentally cannot.”

Senior Finley Coleman agrees that the school needs to emphasize mental health.

“I think our school has this policy where we see ourselves as a mindful school, but we’re not very mindful,” Coleman said. “Sometimes with our counselors, if you want to talk to them, it’s mostly just about your college plans and what you are going to do afterwards, even though sometimes all you want to do is just talk about what’s going on at home.”