Imagine the bell just rang for lunch. You and your friends head over to Suburban Square, pick up your favorite Starbucks drinks, and grab a tasty lunch with the sun glistening on your face. That’s a nice idea, but not reality because LM is a closed campus. This means that all students who are in the building must remain in the building until dismissal, unless the student is picked up by an authorized adult or granted an exception by the administration. Making LM an open campus, specifically for upperclassmen, would teach students real-world skills, reduce lunchroom chaos, and allow students to get fresh air outside of the classrooms. These factors could positively impact a student’s day-to-day life. This policy has been in place by the district for well over fifty years. It’s time for a change.
If LM were to become an open campus, it would allow upperclassmen to learn more responsibility. In just a year or two, most of these students will head out into college where they have total control to do whatever they want. The fact that they can’t go anywhere now and are trapped at school makes it difficult for them to learn life skills. Also, it feels more enticing for them to get out into the real world. Having students ease into this lifestyle will make them more prepared for college, so they don’t overuse their freedom, such as skipping class to get food or hangout with friends. They would also learn to manage their time well. Since Lunch & Learn is only an hour, if students aren’t back to school in time, they can lose their open campus privileges. The same policy would go for free periods. Also, there would still be office time, so if a student had to meet with a teacher they could come back to school earlier. Allowing the upperclassman access to open campus advantages will give them a sense of control because they can make their own choices, which ultimately teaches them skills that they can refer to in the future.
Having an open campus would also let the students get outside. Being outside is beneficial for students, especially during the fall and spring semesters when the weather is exceptionally nice and warm. According to the National Library of Medicine, spending time in the sun comes with various health benefits: “studies show that sunlight can help boost people’s serotonin levels, which gives you more energy and keeps you calm.” With LM being a closed campus, students only go outside during lunch, in gym class, and rarely in a core class if the teacher permits. Having an open campus would allow students to utilize Arnold Field and other spaces near the school such as Suburban Square more often rather than staying inside on a computer or phone during lunch.
There are 1,720 students enrolled at LM. The school gets pretty packed, especially during Lunch & Learn. If upperclassmen were to be able to leave the school, the underclassman could utilize the cafeteria more. Hallways would be less crowded because people would eat in the cafeteria rather than the hallways, thus solving the noise complaint, which would help teachers and students focus more during office hours.
There is no doubt that safety is a leading factor towards the school being a closed campus. It is extremely important to be cautious about who has access to the school. Firstly, if the open campus rules applied to only upperclassmen, the amount of students leaving school during lunch would be limited. Underclassmen don’t have frees yet and can’t drive, so the benefits wouldn’t be applicable to them regardless. The school could implement photo ID name tags and a sign-in and sign-out sheet. If a student did not sign in or sign out, they would lose the open-campus privileges. Having IDs to get into the school would actually be beneficial because the security guards and campus aides would be able to tell who is a part of LM and who isn’t. This ties back into the responsibility aspect because the students are in charge of remembering their ID and signing in and out of school.
Not only is the safety of kids inside the school important, but outside as well. During the hours of 8:30 a.m. to 3:15 pm., the school is liable for the student. That means that if a student is walking to Suburban Square during lunch and they get hurt, the school is held responsible and they could face legal consequences. Hence, responsibility plays a big role in LM being an open campus. If the school were to create waivers saying how the student is in charge of what happens, the parents could sign the waiver. A waiver system also gives parents the option to decide if their kid is allowed to go off campus during the school day. This would allow LMSD to avoid the legal risks of an open campus while allowing students to access its benefits.
If LM were to become an open campus, students would greatly benefit. The upperclassmen would learn responsibility and have the opportunity to experience real life scenarios. Secondly, the cafeteria would become less crowded. Also, students would be able to get outside more, which is scientifically beneficial. Safety is a big concern, but there are solutions to overcome the problems. Overall, the LM administration should consider becoming an open campus.