BY RYAN FIELDS

A young man sits in the library, during any fourth bell, playing Flappy Golf 2. His name? The Average Student. Study hall is a course taken by students that has them sit in the cafeteria, usually given the opportunity to study in the library, and focus on any academics they feel they need to work on or study. Many students take the course and some even take two of them their junior and senior years.

I believe the name of the course–“Study Hall”– is misleading, at least in some cases. I know, personally, studying in study hall is the last thing I want to do. Study hall is a place for: talking to buddies, checking your phone, doing work, and playing Flappy Golf 2. As a senior, I have found that study hall is a great class to catch up on your rest or to relax, a safe haven if you will.

Maybe it is the senioritis already setting in, or maybe I just need more sleep. Either way, study hall is and always will be a glorious aspect of high school but not for the reason the school intended.

Of the people I interviewed in fourth bell study hall, I found that 3/12 of them use the majority of the bell on actual school work. I was told a lot about “Checking fantasy football” and “Playing Bomb Squad.”

Few said “I actually use most of my study hall to study.” I learned that the ratio of girls to guys who spend their time “wisely” was lopsided. Girls tended to spend time working as their male counterparts procrastinated.

For this upcoming paragraph, I have decided to censor the names in order to avoid possible disciplinary actions. When interviewing freshmen Marlie Meers, I was told, “I hardly do any work in study hall. Especially if I go to the library.” He explained how he had friends he could challenge in his study hall and how they would all go to the library together to create and even more optimal Flappy Golf environment. Marlie’s seemed an accurate representation of the males in 4th bell study hall.

On the other hand, girls are an enigma.  About half the girls I talked to said they did work in study hall. The other half used their time in otherwise ways different than the guys. “It ranges from horoscopes to Buzzfeed quizzes for me, anything but works,” says junior, Tabitha Tewart. She told me that she occasionally does work in Study Hall that is due later in the day, but besides that she does most of her homework at home.

In closing, study hall is a wonderful place. You want to throw some earbuds in and chill out? Go for it, kid. You wanna get a game of Flappy going? Count me in. Now that you are in high school, unless you didn’t go to Mariemont Junior High, you finally have the privilege of a study hall. Take advantage of it and pick up the class!