BETTER LATE THAN NEVER?

Royce? 

Royce? 

Rooooooyyyyyyyccccccceeeeeeeee??? 

You were supposed to write this article! We’re a week late! Wait a minute...

Changes, Improvements, Opinions

 This year, Clear Creek Amana High School has a brand new, super shiny tardy policy! It seems that it’s taken on a bit more of a “battlepass” format, where students can now earn new and progressively more powerful rewards as they grind out tardies. Er... maybe not so much “rewards,” but a lot more like punishments. Actually, they are punishments. Don’t be tardy.

As Assistant Principal Mr. Hruby says, “High school is preparation for life--if you show up late for work, don't expect to keep your job.” So it seems quite reasonable that the punishments for being late are a bit more ouchy this year, especially if you noticed the considerably longer passing time students will get (seven minutes up from four previously). Empathizing with students, Hruby says that he wouldn’t expect himself to be able to get from class to class in four minutes either. (While the longer passing time is greatly appreciated, I personally think that Mr. Hruby just isn’t trying hard enough. You see, if you just sprint across the building and aggressively charge your way through crowds of people, I don’t see how you could ever be late. ...Right?)

Lilly is late to her class. Photo by Ella Blume. Graphic by Royce Pohlman.

In a brief interview with Alex DuBay and Bshar Babiker, two students at CCAHS, DuBay mentioned that he doesn’t really think that most tardies are coming from people just wandering the halls. “Most tardies are coming from people who didn’t have a class prior,” he elaborates. While he says he thinks it's good that the tardy battlepass is in place (he didn’t actually call it a tardy battlepass, sadly), he has concerns over how and if it will be enforced. (In a close alternate reality, DuBay proceeds to stare directly into Royce’s soul for several seconds before answering another question.)

Punishments for tardies according to the new policy

So what does this exciting tardy battlepass actually look like? Well--and this cannot be understated--it’s quite serious. Level one is unlocked after three total tardies (in one specific class), and the resulting events are a student conference with the administration and the student’s guardians being notified. At level two (electric boogaloo--five tardies in a specific class), you’ll receive a 30 minute detention and another conference with both the administration and teacher(s). Level three can be unlocked after ten tardies total (from any classes), and it gets you a whole half-day in-school suspension as well as a guardian-administration conference. At level four, unlocked after 15 total tardies, you’ll be hit with a whole-day out-of-school suspension! Not only that, but your parents will have to go to another thrilling meeting with the administration and you’ll get an attendance contract, as well as possible loss of credit for a class and even removal from said class! What could possibly be past level four? Well, the founding fathers of the tardy battle pass must’ve thought the same thing, because at 15+ tardies it indicates "Additional interventions will be determined by administration in collaboration with guardian(s).”

 While it’s unclear yet whether the new tardy policy will fulfill its purpose, there’s one thing that’s for certain: be sure to stay on your toes with tardies this year. (After all, I heard that there’s a custom cosmetic unlocked at the end of the tardy battle pass!) If by “custom cosmetic” you mean “Additional interventions will be determined by administration in collaboration with guardian(s).” Wait a second... IT’S A LOOT BOX! You could get anything!)