By Rithu Uppalapati

Five minutes to get around a humongous, 350, 995 square foot school? With six periods and six different halls, it is like racing against time. Nor is the task made any easier by the 50 pound backpacks students lug around a while running from A pod to D pod.

The first days of school were overwhelming for me, especially being a freshman. In every class I would hear the same thing: four tardies equal a detention. I didn’t understand how something as simple as being a few seconds late to class would result in a detention.

And when I finally got home each day, a weight lifted from my shoulders, literally, I’d sit and think, “I have to get all this homework done, and get to class before the bell rings.” Homework, bell, homework, bell, homework, bell, stress. Of course, to make everything better, my parents would come in asking why I was late or didn’t turn in my homework.

Even now, it’s still hard for me to get to my classes. I can’t fit all my books into my backpack, and I’m also not able to go to my locker. So I’m either late for class, or I don’t have my work with me.

Five minutes may technically be enough to run from hall to hall, but who wants to be that gawky kid with falling books sprinting from class to class?

Most kids really do want to get to class before the bell, but there just isn’t enough time. The tardy policies shouldn’t punish the people who actually try.

Even an extra minute of passing time would be enough, or the tardy rules should not to be as strict. Passing time should be reasonable, it is a really big school and all of the students shouldn’t be punished for the few who want to lag behind.