High schoolers are becoming increasingly stressed. Whether it is due to homework, stress from AP classes, or balancing daily life, school, and other extracurricular activities, students need a little break to get their minds off of the increasing pressure being put on them.

Highlander Time is a part of the school day where students should get to relax and prepare for their next class, not be filled with new information. With this free time, students would be able to walk freely through the halls, have time to socialize, or even get some unfinished homework done.

An unencumbered Highlander Time would especially benefit students who have after school commitments such as clubs, sports, or any other plans. Some students don’t have enough time to complete their homework, so having the opportunity to go to teachers’ classrooms and ask for help would be beneficial. Students would be given the chance to talk with teachers and receive help on homework or ask general questions.

Highlander Time 8 should be every day because one can go to a specific teacher to receive help or go talk with friends,” sophomore Paul Hur said.

Instead of going to a certain classroom, students would be able to go to any classroom they want and use this time to complete any incomplete assignments that are due. High schoolers should be able to have some free time before they have to sit down for a full 90 minutes of class time three times a day, plus 3rd period.

“I think it is a good idea to have HT 8 every day, because it would benefit the students by allowing them to visit any teacher they wanted everyday. [That way], passes wouldn’t be required,” senior Luara Belvedere said.

When having HT 8, high schoolers usually like to calmly walk around and chat with their friends. Since teachers will also be given a break, some might be happy to patrol the halls or stand outside their door to monitor the “chaos” ensuing.

HT 8 everyday would not only positively effect students by giving them the opportunity to finish assignments, but also would help keep them more focused for the rest of the day.

“Well, [having HT 8 everyday is] not possible because of the state requirements for seat time- if you had HT 8 everyday we would not meet seat time. You’re supposedly supposed to do 900 minutes per course and if you don’t make those minutes, then you all don’t get credit for your classes, so we are already pushing it with the amount that we do with the HT being, you know, being 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8, so we barely make that minimum there,” Principal Ellen Reilly said.

If the school regulations on seat time were to change, having HT 8 would help students with their productivity throughout the day.

A teacher being able to teach their lesson in the amount of time given during a regular class period, instead of using HT to teach even more material, would give students a chance to catch up on their studies.

According to a poll taken by 100 MHS students most students reported feeling a great deal of stress on a daily basis and 94 of them want HT 8 everyday to relieve their stress. So is it too much to ask to choose how we get to spend our Highlander Time? If this change were to occur, not only would students get a break from learning, but teachers would also get a break from teaching.