The Lincoln Log

The bell rings. Late to class, you hurry to sneak in unnoticed, but a security guard suddenly stops you and gives you a red pass. You have gotten detention. Now you must go to the cafeteria after school and sit there for twenty minutes, bored out of your mind, where even the guard closes his eyes. After what seems to be forever, you are let go.

The reason for all of this?

A new detention policy.

According to assistant principal Barnaby Payne, detention is a “consequence for students who come back late from lunch.”

Compared to last year – when three tardies would get you detention once a week – one tardy will get you detention for the day. They have tightened up the system so that it is easier for the staff to do bookkeeping and to track down the students on their list.

“Most students show up for detention when assigned, but if they don’t, there are bigger consequences that follow; a second notice, followed by a call home, and maybe even a parent conference,” said Payne.

According to Payne, the record shows that the number of tardies this year have gone down. Students are taking responsibility for their attendance.

“Detention only works for people on the borderline,” said dean Joel Balzer. For others, such as one of the students who tried to justify himself by saying, “I came late from lunch, come on, who doesn’t come late from lunch. Detention is not going to do anything,” it is only effective for students who rarely misbehave. Is this effective?

Instead of showing up late and suffering through detention, students may feel more inclined to cut class altogether. If done cleverly, not showing up at all will save you the trouble of detention. However, too many absences are not without their own consequences either.

“The whole system is designed for teachers, so they feel like students that come in late have consequences to face,” said Payne.

Yet there are a few minor loopholes in the system.

“There are, of course, exceptions.” said Payne, referring to the teachers that let it all slide.

The new detention policy, though controversial among students, seems to be accepted by most Lincoln faculty, though the minor flaws in the system are yet to be solved.