At 2:10, students with detention obligations are directed to room 136 over the intercom. Some students are raising concerns about the public nature of these announcements.
Sophomore Landon Franks recalls his last detention experience. “It’s really putting your business out there,” said Franks. “If you have a reputation as a good student, people start to ask why you even got a detention.”
AP student and robotics team member, senior Satyajit DasSarma can sympathize with Franks. “People found out eventually,” said DasSarma. “I felt like my classmates looked at me differently. People tend to assume you did something really bad if you’re going to detention,” said DasSarma.
Freshman Charlie Jeffreys believes that the announcements disenfranchises students. “I don’t think people would take you as seriously after they find out you had detention,” said Jeffreys. “Some people might think you’re less intelligent.”
Not always popular, the announcements are the administration’s response to forgetfulness in students, according to tenth grade administrator Mr. Crouse.
“Students forget to go to detention,” said Mr. Crouse. “Announcing students’ names over the afternoon announcements is just a polite reminder. You can’t call students down to the office and take them out of class just to remind them of detention. That would take away from the student’s learning time, the time of administrators, and the secretaries’ time in the front office.”
Senior Demoine McMillan agrees with Mr. Crouse. “I think it’s probably a necessary reminder for students,” said McMillan. “If I had detention, I would probably forget without a reminder.”