Opinions on North’s latest generation: What is good? What is bad?

As we are coming closer to the end of this semester, with the new group of seventh graders, as well as a few new additions to North High School, I believe that seventh graders should be interviewed and questioned about their current thoughts, appreciations, dislikes, and overall opinions on a few set themes, here at North High School. 

The first topic is the Smart-Pass. There's no doubt you do not know what SmartPass is, but if so, SmartPass is a computer-based app that times you to make sure that when you leave the classroom, you make it back to class within 5 minutes. Now, when seventh graders were introduced to this new form of restroom passes, most of the seventh graders, myself included, reacted negatively to this situation. Student Zion Laurenceau thinks that the time allotted on SmartPass should be increased because he thinks that students will not have enough time to use the bathroom and make it back to class in time. Another student, Matthew Watt, agrees with this, saying that the maximum time of 5 minutes is strange. Matthew also agrees that students will not have enough time to travel back to class. 

An important part of school is lunch. Making sure that students are not hungry is important. But what do seventh graders think of the lunches? A student Darnell Christie thinks that the lunches are nice and that 41 minutes to eat and chat is an enjoyable time limit. But seventh grader Muhammad Khan thinks that snacks being sold in the cafeteria are a swindle, and says that the snacks are overpriced, and that he can buy a much, much bigger bag of potato chips for a lower price elsewhere. Tyler Gilbert agrees with this statement, saying that the snacks are too expensive. 

The period system is quite common in most middle and high schools. Students at North are given 41 minutes for each period and have 4 minutes to travel to their next class. But what do seventh graders think of this system? Most students I interviewed mostly had the same response, liking the period system, and thinking it is an effective way of having a schedule and liking how they can see other students every period. Overall, from the students I interviewed, it is interesting how nobody had a single complaint about how classes are scheduled, which suggests how efficient this method is. 

Even though most responses I found were positive, I also asked students what they think should be improved if they were able to change one thing about this school. One student I interviewed, Kyle Cooper, said that they would change the food options.  So, halfway into the semester, many students have many opinions, and they think that overall, North is a nice school. However, some believe that the Smart-Pass should be changed, the lunches should be changed. In conclusion, the seventh graders so far enjoy North but believe that changes should be made.