By: Jasmine Minjarez and Paola Rodriguez
Everyday students wake up around 6:30 a.m to get ready for school. Students need to be at school before 8 a.m and they get out at 3:05 p.m, that is around 8 hours at school. Once it’s time to go home some students just go straight home and some stay for guided study, an after school program, or detention. Other students prefer to stay after school to hang out with their friends instead of just going home from a long day at school. On average 300 students stay after school in a week.
Many students claim they stay for guided study. Other students just stay after school to spend more time with friends. Most students claim they stay for educational purposes, but later stated they stay to hang out with friends . Junior Violeta Lopez said, “Sometimes I think of staying for guided study. Sometimes I go in there and it’s packed and I am like forget it and I stay after school.” Junior Adela Velazquez also said, “Yeah, cause you just go home and you don’t want to deal with your sisters, brothers, and parents so you just stay after school and freshen your mind.”
Junior Juan Martinez said he also stays for guided study then goes outside to skate afterwards. Other students said they stayed for other reasons. Freshman Rut Jimenez said, “I like to stay after school and make new friends. I usually do volleyball, arts and crafts, and basketball sometimes.”
Students were asked what was the latest they leave and most students responded with 4:30 pm to 5pm. Senior George Romero said 7 pm was the latest he stayed. Violeta said the latest she stayed was 9 pm. When they were asked who looks over students who stay late, all students said security guard Jesus Luna and Mr. Garcia stay to watch over them.
Mr. Garcia is one of the security guard that stays to take care of the students that stay after school. He makes sure that if they are staying they have to go to guided study or detention if they have detention. Garcia said, “I try to get them to guided study or watch them make sure they are not doing anything dumb.” Sometimes when students stay after school they just stay to do dumb things and do not actually stay for educational purposes. Later in the day another security guard, Jesus, comes to watch the students, so one doesn’t have to stay all day.
After a long day most students prefer to stay after school because they think that going straight home is a burden especially dealing with family. Sometimes spending time with your friends can be really helpful it can refresh your mind instead of just getting home and going right to your homework can be stressful. After an 8 hour day, you have to get home and do more work, and sometimes your parents make you do chores. So you never actually have a break. So when students prefer to stay after school, it’s because they need a break.
