PRO:

By Nancy Do

As sophomore Alicia Luong, half-asleep, trudges down the hallways on her way to the library to print an essay, the bell suddenly rings, forcing her to run to her fourth-period class instead.

Luong had not only hoped to print her essay but also grab a quick bite to eat, to appease her empty stomach.

This is the problem many students face almost everyday. An additional 10 minutes to the passing period before fourth period would result in a short brunch period that could solve this issue.

Some students wake up late and don’t get a chance to eat breakfast, which is arguably the most important meal of the day. And many of us students know how difficult it is to go through classes with an empty stomach.

An extended passing period before fourth would allow the hungry students to eat before going into class. This also applies to teachers. It’s just as hard to teach some 30 students when all you can think about is food; as it is to sit through and pay attention in a class when all you can think about is food.

A short brunch period would also allow students to do a quick review before classes if they have a test or quiz that day.

Most students will agree that a few extra minutes to study can make the difference between a failing and passing score. Teachers could also have time to organize their teaching plan for the day or run to the office to make copies of worksheets.

Brunch would be especially useful on block days, when both students and teachers are drained. A block period would allow them to freshen up and be more energized for classes. It’s really easy to fall asleep after 84 minutes of class.

Many people say that the 10 minute passing period before fourth is enough.

The truth is, 10 minutes is just enough for a student who has class all the way across campus to go to the library to print something, use the restroom, and go to their locker before going to their fourth, without leaving any time for getting a bite to eat or reviewing for classes. And even then, that’s a maybe.

Others complain that a brunch period would add more school time to the day.

However, a short additional 10 minutes to the day isn’t going to hurt anyone, especially if that 10 minutes is used to benefit the students and teachers.

A brunch period would be extremely beneficial to everyone. Teachers and students would be more awake and energized, ready for classes. After all, who can do well in school if all they want to do is sleep?

CON:

By Sydney Fonderie

Unless you are the proud owner of an iron gut, I’m sure that you have experienced the scourge of the “10 O’Clock munchies”.

A popular remedy for this unexpected, sudden, and vicious hunger is cracking out some snacks in the middle of class, but this comes with the problem of attracting ants, cockroaches and even rats to the crumbs inevitably left behind.

Teachers are forced to choose between hungry animals in the classrooms or equally hungry students. So instead, some people have suggested the idea of a brunch period.

I must express my disapproval of this idea. A ten to 20 minute brunch period would offset the other periods of the day and likely lead to a later ending time, among other awkward inconveniences such as a post-noon lunch period.

Instead, if enough people find themselves suffering from the onset of a mid-morning hunger, why not repurpose the SSR period to be a makeshift snack time?

Basically, the plan is that students with a hankering for some food would go to the quad for some of the period to eat out there as they do during lunch. This plan comes with the benefits of solving the students’ hunger, ensuring no pests get into the classrooms, and also gives students a chance to stretch their legs.

If you didn’t know already, SSR stands for Sustained Silent Reading, something that I have seen very few students actually do. Sure it’s silent, but very little reading is going on. So really, what is anyone losing by releasing those with an empty stomach into the quad to eat? The way I see it, no one gets hurt.

So please, express your support for this new problem-free solution to a widespread problem. Help ensure that no student ever goes hungry in the middle of the day ever again. End the midday munchies by making SSR a snack time.