Rushing to class, racing the minutes trying to make it as soon as you can before it’s too late “ding, ding, ding”. The bell rang. Even though students may have been just a few minutes late, suddenly 10 minutes of lunch is up to owe.

11 minutes late or more, and students have to serve 20 minutes of lunch. The report from students is that the policy is unfair.

Student Evan Emro, A sophomore at Rocky says “I think the tardy lates are reasonable. I just think being regular tardy should have less of a punishment because if I’m just a few minutes late, usually it’s because of the halls or how far away my classroom is compared to where I was during lunch. More of a timing thing than me just showing up late on purpose.”

The statement seems to be consistent throughout several other interviews. The effects it has, besides just having to serve tardies, are detrimental as well. The mental and physical health of students can be affected at home for small stuff like this, due to strict parents and such. It may be just a tardy to the school, but to someone with a toxic household, it can be much more.

A Student at Rocky that chose to remain anonymous said, “when I get tardy’s its annoying because it happens so easily and for example my first period is in Art Hall, then my second is in History Hall on the complete opposite side of the school. I feel like it’s not my fault my classes got placed so far apart. Also have to deal with the people in the halls being slow. My parents get mad at me for tardies and take away my phone and limit how often I can hang out with my friends when it happens regardless of if I clear it. It causes me to have major anxiety now whenever I’m almost late.”

Based on the many students who were interviewed throughout this, more than half of them said that they did not even know that there was a petition against tardies, but if they had a form to sign, or an email to send regarding it, they would.

If the right surveys were made to have people get a word on it being less strict but still enforcing it for the kids that are deserving of it, tons of students would benefit, leaving less stress and more lunch time.

Gavin Fulgham, a sophomore student at rocky said, “I never knew that people were like actually making petitions on it and stuff and I don’t know where to find any surveys to fill out something on the rules of but if there was I would. I would change the fact that being just a few minutes late is considered tardy.”

Next time you find yourself wishing for more time to have some tardies cleared, look into rocky petitions and have some cleared.