For over 10 years, Basic Academy has had a bell schedule with a common day. Common day was the day when students would see all eight of their teachers for that day, but would only see their teachers for 40 minutes that day. Though, this year there was a change to the bell schedule, which included a demolition of the common day. This year students received a new rotating bell schedule consisting of every other day, even and odd days.

Many students are not happy with the new bell schedule here at Basic Academy. Students were more comfortable with the old bell schedule. Many students liked how you saw all eight of your classes that day. Also, students admitted to feeling less stressed that day and liked the overall feeling of having an easy day.

 “No one likes to come to school on a Monday, I mean it’s a Monday, and having shorter class periods just makes it a whole lot better,” said  junior Antonio Shields 

Shields is known for rapping as “JR From Da City.” The junior student is on the varsity boys basketball team. Shields is very passionate about the common day schedule.

“I hate it, common days would be like a very slow day, a very chill day, common days were short and would help get me through the week. I just wish they would bring back common day said Shields.

Before with the common day bell schedule, it worked with common days on Mondays, odd days on Tuesday and Thursdays, and even days on Wednesdays and Fridays. Students now feel like the new schedule is too confusing.

 “ I don’t like the new bell schedule, the schedule is too confusing and before I knew that Mondays were common days and odd and even days fell on the same day of the week, it was just easier to remember,” said junior Tre Turner

Although many students are not favorable with the new bell schedule, there are students who do like the new change to the bell schedule. 

“I didn’t like common days, the days felt so long and now it’s better, because I only see four teachers a day and I’m not moving around as much,” said senior Samantha Lund 

Other students did not like common days, because they felt they were always up and out of their desks, and they did not like that. The students did not like the feeling of going from class to class, and not liking to have to haul around all their required materials and textbooks.

“My backpack is less full and less heavy. I’m not having to carry all my school supplies around everyday”- Senior, Lauren Sousa

Even Basic Academy alumni has mixed feelings about the new change to the bell schedule. Some of the Basic Academy alumni students do not like change, but know that change can be good.

“It’s crazy to think that I graduated six years ago, and the bell schedule has already had major changes to it,” said Rien Townsend.

Townsend is a Basic alumnus who graduated in 2018. He participated in marching band, cross country, and golf during his time at Basic. When he heard the new change to the bell schedule, he was very surprised, but knew it was for the best.

“I mean I got no hate for the new bell schedule, I liked common day when I was a student at Basic, but I’m sure there’s a pretty good reason behind it,” he said.

Rien is not the only alumni that liked the common day, 2019 graduate Austin Russell, liked the common day when he was a student as well.

“common day was good for me, because it was like an easy day, and I would try and plan my schedule for the day to make sure I got all my homework done before I got home,” she said.

Though, not all of the Basic Academy alumni students favored the common day schedule at the time. Alumni student Alyssa Cork, was not a fan of the common day.

“Common day was too confusing, when I was in school, I kept having to go from class to class, and sometimes I would accidentally end up in the wrong classes at times during the day and the day just felt so long,” said 2018 graduate Alyssa Cork.

Some of the campus security monitors have noticed that the fights are going down, and the students seem to be in class more. The students are involved more and are getting more a part of the curriculum and there is a new set of teachers here to that.

Campus security monitor, Ceejay Redden observed seeing less students wandering around during class time with the new bell schedule. Redden noticed that the hallways were jam packed and busier on common days.

“As soon as the kids were settled into class, they were right back out of class, and it was hard to keep the hallways clear, and more fights happened on common day,” said coach and campus security monitor Ceejay Redden.

Campus security monitors have seen great significant changes in the student behavior. The Basic Academy campus security monitors are very well pleased with the student behaviors, because there are less students in the hallways that the campus security has to stop and question, and there is just less of a hassle from the students. 

Many teachers like the new common day change. Teachers feel less stressed and less overwhelmed. Teachers have more instructional time now, and teachers are able to make sure that every student understands the material.

English Teacher and author, Lucas Thomas, feels the new common day change was for the better. 

“I’m able to plan a better and more fun and engaging lesson plans,” said Thomas

Thomas was new to Basic last year, and he got to experience the common day schedule for only one school year. Yet it was only one school year, he still got to experience the big deal. When the beginning of the school year started, Thomas was worried about the new bell schedule.

“At first I was worried, but I actually like it, every day is an extended day, and there is no rush,” he added.

Thomas is very content with the schedule now, although he did not like the common day schedule beforehand. 

“In the beginning, common days got very hectic, seeing 180 people in four hours is just WOAH! WOOAAH! Seeing that many people is hard for me, it went by too quickly, and I didn’t like it.”