I remember awkwardly sitting in my first hour class as a freshman, five minutes early with nowhere else to go. I tried to look busy to avoid the pitying gaze of the teacher and the odd looks from my classmates, since I didn’t know any of them at the time. I sighed with relief as the bell sounded, beginning first hour so I wouldn’t have to deal with the pesky pressures of chatting with my peers. Bells have saved generations of kids just like me, and all bells receive in return are constant complaints. The tone of the bells may be dreary and prison-like, but I’m happy they’re back.
Bells relieve the stress of getting to class on time and prevent teachers from holding students captive for longer than necessary. But people still don’t like them.
Without bells, students are consistently late and teachers cannot justify punishments because no one is sure when class is supposed to start. People can spew a number of excuses; being released late is the most popular. Many are let off the hook for lollygagging instead of walking to class. This undermines the goal of getting rid of the bells: teaching responsibility. Most people who are late are going to be late with or without bells. Considering all their other responsibilities, students deserve a little help with getting to class on time.
It’s a given that some students lie about being let out of class late without bells. However, if a teacher really does let a student out three minutes after the appropriate time, they’re doomed to be late. Although the glaring blast of rejection signaling the beginning of class along the empty halls is terrifying, the bells decrease these instances. Bells also reduce the amount of stragglers after lunch. Most students’ lunches change from day to day, so it’s hard to remember what time class starts. For students who don’t go off campus for lunch, the bells are an important tool for getting to class on time.
While the bells do sound like a submarine’s emergency alarm, they bring a sense of stability to my day-to-day life and to the lives of so many others like me who embrace their inner awkward freshman…even though I’m a sophomore.
For counter points: https://www.thekirkwoodcall.com/opinion/2011/10/20/students-are-saved-by-the-lack-of-the-bell/
