A study hall is a timeframe during the school day where students participate in studying for upcoming assignments and committing to other assignments such as classwork and homework. Overall, I feel study halls should be implemented within the school system, as they give students the opportunity to learn and complete their assignments for the classes they have within the day.

Seniors have the advantage of taking more electives than required courses. A study hall period can substitute for an elective that a student may not want to participate in. Due to the lack of senior privilege for the next school year, a study hall period could be effective in replacing periods with a lack of a core course.

A argument against study halls is that there are going to be certain students who do not use their time wisely. A similar argument was held for senior privilege, as it could have been a timeframe when students could have looked ahead to their futures through job prospects and complete portions of their college education. Unless the students are heavily monitored, it’s not guaranteed that they won’t use a study hall and the opportunities provided.

Some people feel that study halls provide a host of benefits. “I feel study halls are good for us. It seems like a good replacement for senior privilege if it happens,” junior Mason Tabb stated.

On the other hand, junior Aaron Mason feels the same way, but understands the downsides. “I understand that certain people will not use a study hall period wisely, but it removes the benefit for the people that want to do their work anyways,” said Mason.

A timeframe for a study hall depends on the individual school district. For example, some schools may make a study hall shorter than a period long, whereas other schools substitute a devoted block for a study hall.

“If it were up to me, I would make a study hall a complete period in length so the schedule isn’t messed up. The study hall period will benefit many of the students that use it for their needs, and I believe it should be universal in the school system,” said college freshman and Saucon Valley alumni Aj Sipos.

Parents are also sure to have an opinion on study halls if they were ever to return to the high school.  “It really depends. When I was in school, the seniors were able to experience a study hall period. From what I experienced, many of the students used their study hall period to their advantage, but I understand how certain students will lack off from their privilege,” former teacher Dina Sipos commented.

All in all, I feel study halls should be implemented in the school. While some students may use the timeframe for other reasons, I feel many of the students will use their time wisely as well. It’s hard to say who will and who won’t, but I feel everyone should at least experience this privilege. If study halls aren’t implemented, maybe there’s could be another alternative in place.