Late starts and two-hour lunches: the best parts about Block Days. In previous years, Block Days started with a two-hour block at 9:00 a.m., followed by a two-hour lunch, and then another two-hour block, ending at 3:00 p.m. This past December, in order to fit in sports games after school, the first block started at 8:30 a.m., followed by a one-and-a-half-hour lunch, and then the second block, ending at 2:00 p.m. When ASB President Jeremy Hsieh announced the change in Morning Meeting, boos echoed throughout Garland Theater. This disappointment made clear that the old schedule is better.
The purpose of the new schedule was to allow for sports games during Block Days for the first time, which required the day to end at 2:00 p.m. since early dismissal wasn’t an option. Initially, the Upper School Leadership Team proposed that the first block begin at 9:00 a.m., but that would only allow for a one-hour lunch break, inadequate time for the many students who have to walk to Lake Avenue to eat. Students with extra time would have been even more affected because they might have had to use the time allocated for lunch as the rest of their testing time.
After the student body petitioned to revert back to the previous schedule, compiling a Google document of complaints, the ASB made further changes to the revised schedule. The new schedule, with an 8:30 a.m. start time and 2:00 p.m. end, was the best compromise, yet it forced students to wake up earlier and still did not give much adequate time for a relaxed lunch or a break from the stress of test-taking.
This begs the question: Is it worth sacrificing half an hour of lunch and 30 minutes in the morning just to incorporate sports during Block Days? In the past, we have had block weeks without games, so we are capable of bringing this practice back.
Ethan Hoffman, a junior who plays on the varsity boys soccer team recalled his experience playing against Providence during Block Days. “After two two-hour-long exams, I felt drained. I didn’t look forward to playing an away game against Providence.” Hoffman added, “I lost some sleep,” and “ I was almost late for my first block the next day, which made me very stressed and hurt my performance.”
Hoffman’s comments reflect a larger sentiment shared by Upper School students, that squeezing in one more sports game is not worth it for the change in the schedule.
The Upper School and the Athletics Department need to work together to ensure games are not scheduled during Block Days. Returning to the old schedule would increase students’ performances on tests and games, as sleep is integral for academic success. It would also ease student anxieties. Many of us deal with enough stress during Block Days and we do not need to fret about two stressful activities in an already overwhelming period.
The choice is clear: to help students succeed—to help them relax during an anxiety-ridden time—Poly should return to its previous schedule for Block Days.
