The Death of Daily Buff Time
Good Intentions; Bad Execution
By: Padraig Gillis (10), Staff Writer
At the start of the year, the school announced that it was moving away from the daily buff schedule that most students are used to. Instead, they decided to go with an every-other-day routine that promotes more children in classrooms. Students are disappointed that one of their resources has been diminished, but their complaints have not resulted in severe changes.
Buff time should be restored to its original form, despite the positives this new schedule may provide.
Due to extracurricular activities such as clubs and athletics, students do not return home until 5:30. On game day, football players don’t even finish their game until dusk. Getting home at six o’clock does not provide ample time for homework, so students have used buff time as a study hall. Students would use this time to study topics covered in class, add finishing touches to projects and homework, and retake tests. By shortening the number of opportunities for study halls, students could experience a drop in grades. This would be bad for everyone involved since the focal point of the education system centers around grades.
Teachers are also affected by this new schedule because it hurts their ability to make lesson plans. Educators at the school have expressed that buff time gave them time to plan, and some are even organizing petitions to bring it back. Students have claimed that lectures feel more disorganized than last year, and teachers argue that it's due to a larger lack of time to work. Buff time also allowed staff to relax from the stress of meetings and teaching
The loss of daily buff time has also contributed to the fall of morale in the student body. Kids aren’t guaranteed the daily break that buff time once gave them. This adds more stress and disinterest for kids who were struggling before. After all, why would you care about something that keeps worsening?
While it can be seen as honorable to take away daily buff time because of truancy, it ultimately doesn't solve the problem. Kids will find a way to skip class regardless of buff time, and one could even argue that removing daily buff time has made the problem worse. Instead of removing a valuable resource to fix this, there should be more people in the halls. People aren’t skipping because of buff time. They’re skipping because there’s no one there to stop them.
The removal of daily buff time has demotivated the student body, hindered educator’s jobs, and lowered grades. Students are now staying up later to cram in homework lessons when they should be sleeping. But that’s fine because there are no kids in the halls. Right? To fix this problem, buff time should be brought back in its entirety. Doing this won’t mess up any major bus schedules, and we already have the schedule in place for it. An extra 5 minutes to classes won’t cut it. Kids are desperate for a break, and buff time gave them that.
Buff time should be restored to its original form, despite the positives this new schedule may provide.
Due to extracurricular activities such as clubs and athletics, students do not return home until 5:30. On game day, football players don’t even finish their game until dusk. Getting home at six o’clock does not provide ample time for homework, so students have used buff time as a study hall. Students would use this time to study topics covered in class, add finishing touches to projects and homework, and retake tests. By shortening the number of opportunities for study halls, students could experience a drop in grades. This would be bad for everyone involved since the focal point of the education system centers around grades.
Teachers are also affected by this new schedule because it hurts their ability to make lesson plans. Educators at the school have expressed that buff time gave them time to plan, and some are even organizing petitions to bring it back. Students have claimed that lectures feel more disorganized than last year, and teachers argue that it's due to a larger lack of time to work. Buff time also allowed staff to relax from the stress of meetings and teaching
The loss of daily buff time has also contributed to the fall of morale in the student body. Kids aren’t guaranteed the daily break that buff time once gave them. This adds more stress and disinterest for kids who were struggling before. After all, why would you care about something that keeps worsening?
While it can be seen as honorable to take away daily buff time because of truancy, it ultimately doesn't solve the problem. Kids will find a way to skip class regardless of buff time, and one could even argue that removing daily buff time has made the problem worse. Instead of removing a valuable resource to fix this, there should be more people in the halls. People aren’t skipping because of buff time. They’re skipping because there’s no one there to stop them.
The removal of daily buff time has demotivated the student body, hindered educator’s jobs, and lowered grades. Students are now staying up later to cram in homework lessons when they should be sleeping. But that’s fine because there are no kids in the halls. Right? To fix this problem, buff time should be brought back in its entirety. Doing this won’t mess up any major bus schedules, and we already have the schedule in place for it. An extra 5 minutes to classes won’t cut it. Kids are desperate for a break, and buff time gave them that.
We Before Me
Key Club makes mums for ALE classes
By: Hailey Gorzell (11), Editor-in-chief
Key Club will deliver over 30 homemade mums to ALE classrooms on Oct. 5 before homecoming.
Alondra Garcia (12) joined key club her sophomore year, and although it began as a service hours opportunity, she quickly fell in love with helping others.
“I think it makes ALE students feel more connected with the community because I know if I was the only one not wearing a mum; I would feel a little sad, upset,” Garcia said.
Key Club International is a service-based club which connects students with volunteer opportunities in the community. As a Texas tradition that dates back several decades ago, mums unite the campus in solidarity. For Key Club, however, the tradition of making mums for ALE students dates back over four years ago.
Eleanor Forsberg (10) joined key club to gain a wider variety of service hours.
“It’s very impactful for the ALE community to be included in the rich tradition of wearing a mum on homecoming,” Forsberg said. “Key club teaches the importance of service and of helping the community.”
If interested in joining Key Club, stop by Mrs. Grant’s room in H203 to gain more information. Future service projects include Thanksgiving boxes for the custodial staff and fall festivals.
ALE teachers see the positive impacts of key club’s contributions on the inclusivity of the campus.
“It impacts the ALE students because it makes them feel like they’re part of the school, part of the community with the other students,” Ms. Moore de las Santos said. “It makes them feel included which they love very much.”
Alondra Garcia (12) joined key club her sophomore year, and although it began as a service hours opportunity, she quickly fell in love with helping others.
“I think it makes ALE students feel more connected with the community because I know if I was the only one not wearing a mum; I would feel a little sad, upset,” Garcia said.
Key Club International is a service-based club which connects students with volunteer opportunities in the community. As a Texas tradition that dates back several decades ago, mums unite the campus in solidarity. For Key Club, however, the tradition of making mums for ALE students dates back over four years ago.
Eleanor Forsberg (10) joined key club to gain a wider variety of service hours.
“It’s very impactful for the ALE community to be included in the rich tradition of wearing a mum on homecoming,” Forsberg said. “Key club teaches the importance of service and of helping the community.”
If interested in joining Key Club, stop by Mrs. Grant’s room in H203 to gain more information. Future service projects include Thanksgiving boxes for the custodial staff and fall festivals.
ALE teachers see the positive impacts of key club’s contributions on the inclusivity of the campus.
“It impacts the ALE students because it makes them feel like they’re part of the school, part of the community with the other students,” Ms. Moore de las Santos said. “It makes them feel included which they love very much.”