Modified Husky Halftime draws mixed reviews

Husky Halftime, an extended period meant for students to meet with teachers, have club meetings and eat lunch, was reintroduced today after having been taken away for several weeks. 

It was taken away after the Sept. 17 Halftime, in which students brought outside food and did not wear their masks correctly. 

Principal Amy Pressly said she wanted to reintroduce it in a modified way to show younger students how to use the time effectively. 

“I do not like the fact that it is either halftime or no halftime,” Pressly said. “My idea is to spend a couple of weeks helping the underclassmen understand what [Husky Halftime] is supposed to be.”

At the end of the fourth hour, students in classrooms in the 600s, 700s, 800s and 900s, had a study hall for 25 minutes. During this time, the students on the main floor ate. Then roles were reversed for the next 25 minutes.

A complaint shared by seniors Rumesa Nisar and Brynn Grosdidier was the short time allotted to eat.

“There is not enough time for all the students to get their lunch and effectively eat,” Grosdidier said. 

In reality, Pressly said everybody got lunch within 13 minutes of their 25-minute lunch shifts. She said this time was on par, if not an improvement, from the regular waiting periods.

“I think there were some complaints from kids saying ‘I had to wait in line,’ but if we have normal Halftime, it is twice as many kids, so the line takes 30 minutes to feed everybody,” Pressly said. 

Another issue, according to Nisar, was the lack of seating available for students. Pressly agreed with Nisar’s point, saying how the lack of seating was an issue faced during previous Husky Halftimes.

Nisar and Grosdidier also said they did not like changing from the fifth-hour lunch routine, which has been commonplace for a month. 

“Being used to our routine of having seven lunch shifts was better because we were used to it, and we had it for so long, switching it today made all students chaotic,” Nisar said. 

Despite the reactions from some students, Pressly said there were some overall improvements; students did not leave to get food and wore their masks correctly. 

“With 25 minutes, it is harder to go to Slim Chickens and get back than it is when you have 50 [minutes],” Pressly said. 

Although today’s Husky Halftime was modified, Pressly said the end goal is to return to the original Husky Halftime. 

“We will get there, I have faith in our student body, and I have faith in our older kids that they are going to help the younger kids understand what needs to happen. We need to take it slow,” Pressly said.