Out of nowhere, Northwest’s staff decided to change the time that students get during passing periods from 7 minutes to 5 minutes. They then added 1 minute to each class period, while adding 2 minutes to 7th period. 5 minutes to lunch were also added. Out of all the students I’ve spoken to, this concept is quite absurd and no one agrees with it. Mr. Smith writes that students were consulted during this change, but I do not believe that enough of the student body was asked about how they felt. This does not model the spirit of a true democracy, and doesn’t make it seem like any students were consulted at all. Although there are other high schools in MCPS that have a similar size as Northwest, their layouts may vary. I have heard personal stories of so many teachers and students speaking about how difficult they found it to get around the school. As Northwest is a quite large school with a confusing layout, this will make getting to class extremely more difficult. This will make it especially more difficult for incoming freshmen, who had 4 minutes during passing periods in their middle schools which were much smaller. Many teachers are very unforgiving when it comes to being late and tend to implement more serious punishments than they’re supposed to. Also, students who have classes in portables will find it even more difficult to arrive on time. Another reason as to why this won’t work is that students won’t have enough time in between classes to use the restroom. This is a vital time for students to prepare themselves for the next class period, especially for girls who have to deal with feminine hygiene matters throughout the day. Most teachers only allow students to go if they will come back to class before the bell rings, or won’t allow them to go during class. Giving 5 minutes to find your class in this large school and use the bathroom if you have any remaining time left at all is not realistic and doesn’t supply students with the time they need. So, taking away time from passing periods is not a smart idea for students, as they will lack the time they need to get to and from class. The concept of adding 5 minutes to lunch as a result of this is also unnecessary, as many students believe that lunch is already long enough as it is. The purpose of adding more time for students to visit teachers for help/reteaching is somewhat pointless, as many students choose not to go for help during lunch anyways. Then, adding 1 or 2 more minutes to class periods won’t make much of a change in instruction. Students usually start packing up their belongings a minute early anyways and now feel the need to pack up even earlier to get out of class as soon as possible to arrive in a timely manner. I understand that this has already been decided, but if you’re truly a school who respects the opinions of the student body, you will listen to what we have to say. Thank you.