By Kale Merrill

Open Campus has been a dream for most Mount Vernon students since they arrived as freshmen. Mount Vernon’s current policy only allows juniors and seniors to leave school if they have seventh hour free. This is a problem for Mount Vernon students because many have free hours during the middle of the day or free hours in succession towards the end of the day. That is why Mount Vernon High School should utilize open campus as an opportunity to reward hardworking and dedicated students who have earned the right.

As a senior here at Mount Vernon I have two free periods to end the day. Since they are in succession I am able to leave the school after fifth hour. For other students it’s a different story. Nick Casey, a senior, has fifth and seventh hour free, but cannot depart during his fifth hour since it’s during the middle of the day. This is a big problem since many students have a similar situation to him. There is no reason a student should be forced to stay in school where they become a nuisance, distraction, and a pain to teachers trying to keep their students focused. Why not have the option for them to go home and unwind for a half hour or leave to grab a quick bite to eat, instead of wandering hopelessly around the school with not one productive thought in mind.

Many who say open campus is a dangerous door to open for students do not realize the positives it has. Some benefits are enhancing social skills through real-world interaction, allowing for more healthy food options, and a chance to reset throughout students’ intense schedules.

Not only are there numerous benefits for the students, but there are also benefits for the teachers. When students are given a privilege and trust from teachers and staff, the students will then, in turn, show a big attitude and demeanor boost towards the school.

At MVHS, a simple system which could be modeled off another Iowa school would be extremely effective. Spirit Lake High School’s open campus policy is the structure I recommend. The following quote is from their policy sheet, “In order to obtain and retain open campus lunch privileges, each student: must be a junior or senior, must be in good academic, discipline and attendance standing, must be on time to the class following his/her lunch period, and a repeated failure to arrive on time may result in loss of privileges.”

This potential loss of privilege is what would make this system so effective. If students want to retain their open campus, they will behave how they are supposed to. And if they do not, a quick retraction of privilege is in order.