Everyone knows that all students must stay on campus until 3:00 pm, but many of us don’t see why. The Albany Academies is a college preparatory school, and the school should allow us to manage ourselves as we will in college. We argue that students who do not have other academic or extracurricular requirements, extending past H block, should be permitted to leave campus at 2:20. 

Many people will claim that the 2:20 study hall block is a perfect opportunity for extra help. However, many students and teachers have classes during H block now, and can no longer partake in extra help. Due to this, students have resorted to seeking extra help at different times, typically during a free block, E block, before/after school, or during break. So from an extra help standpoint, allowing students to go home at 2:20 will have a minimal impact on academics. If students need to stay later at school to receive help, they’re more than welcome. When students learn how to handle their schedule, they will learn the importance of self-management and independence that cannot be absorbed through forced attendance. 

From a spatial perspective, students are constantly scolded for hanging around the lobbies and hallways. The only “hang out” places for students are libraries, which administration has told us are for quiet study, or around the previously listed spaces. If students don’t have other school requirements and can leave at 2:20, crowding would be significantly reduced, keeping the school clear.

Another concern is the traffic at dismissal. Everyone is trying to leave campus as soon as possible, causing the parking lot to become hectic. Allowing students who fit the requirements to leave at 2:20 would cause fewer people in the parking lot at once. This would provide a safer and spaced-out dismissal, given that only some students can leave at this time. 

Lastly, the real issue is the administration needs to have more  trust in its students to manage themselves. As high school students, we should be treated as such. In less than a year, seniors will be in college, living independently, and the rest of the students will soon follow. If the school can’t trust us to leave the school, how can they be confident in our ability to live alone? By allowing us to make our own decisions, we will learn how to manage ourselves and our work, making us ready for college life.