When it was confirmed by Summit Admin that students would have an open period in the morning instead of the afternoon, the revision was met with conflicting feelings from all. While many freshmen and sophomores felt like their after-school freedom was being taken away, older students are enjoying the liberties of being able to sleep in.

“Honestly, it’s kind of growing on me,” said Summit sophomore Emily Kraybill. ”It kind of gives more of an opportunity to have like study sessions or hang out with friends.” 

Not everyone is adjusting so smoothly. Thielsen Wardlow, a Summit junior, mentioned that he knew people who had mixed up their schedule and completely slept through their first period on the wrong day. There are plenty of students that don’t seem to get around to figuring out the rotation schedule all year, and the first period open is causing unexcused absences to stack up as people adjust. 

From a staff perspective, Dave Turnbull, a Summit PE teacher and head track coach, felt that it teaches a good life skill, to be flexible, and to adjust to the needs of each day. However, there is a downside. “Transition time is not good for students,” he explained. “The younger the student, the worse that transition time is.”

As a sophomore, and having had two different schedules, it’s been hard to adjust. However, with the first period open, students will benefit from having time allotted to do homework or be more social than they would otherwise. The only speed bump is getting adjusted, and then it’ll be clear this was the right choice for students and staff alike.