Many students, as well as teachers and parents, wholeheartedly believe that high schools should have an open campus. In fact, according to http://www.debate.org, approximately 87% of people voted that high school students should be allowed to leave during their free periods. They argue that an open campus would give students access to better meals, help them prove responsibility, and would allow them a break from the stress inducing environment of school which makes students more excited to learn. Some also argue that having an open campus benefits the school because the school will save money on lunches for the students. It seems as though there are no disadvantages having an open campus.

That, however, is not true. Unfortunately, there are many reasons why having an open campus may be much less beneficial than initially thought to be. One LHS student, Zyra Sotero, said, “I don’t see the point of an open campus.” She thinks that a 40 minute period is not long enough to do anything anyway, especially without being able to drive a car which she points out to be something many students can’t do. Other students such as Logan Mastrandrea and Taryn Zdenek don’t think high school students are responsible enough for this kind of freedom. Logan reveals that he believes students would spend their free periods smoking, doing drugs, and getting drunk. Taryn adds that the LHS shouldn’t have an open campus “because it would make it easier for kids to skip school.” After all, once a student leaves the school, is there really any way to make sure they come back when they’re supposed to? Even those who are mature enough to understand that they have to be back in school at a certain time can get stuck in traffic, held up by other uncontrollable forces, or sometimes, life threatening accidents.

There are clearly many advantages and disadvantages to having an open campus, but what’s the better option? Perhaps the best choice is a compromise. Arianna Avila, Sara Jablonska, and Nicolette Vita are LHS students who believe the school should have an open campus, but only as a privilege for juniors and seniors. Arianna considers this to be the best option because 11th and 12th graders “tend to be more mature and aware of their surroundings.” Nicolette and Sara feel the same way. Nicolette claims, “it should be older kids that can have an open campus, but if they start failing classes or ditching, they’re no longer allowed to leave.” This way, the school can ensure that only students who deserve this benefit will receive it.

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