Let’s plug in! 

Recently there has been word about a new pass called an E-hall pass. The E-hall pass is a cell phone app that tracks a student when they leave the classroom, substituting the previous physical hall pass and QR codes that students used. The app will be similar to the Microsoft Form and feature similar questions, however, it will have a new feature that tracks a student’s time. Once a student’s time is up, their teacher will be contacted. 

The E-hall pass has been effective since the second quarter and I’ve actually had the opportunity to test out what it’s like to use this tool.

The first time I utilized the E-hall pass was my last. It took so long to set everything up. It’s literally a whole process. 

First, I had to insert what class I’m in and where I’m trying to go. Then, I had to submit my answers and wait for my teacher to accept my request. Once he accepted the request and gave me permission to leave, that’s when a timer appeared on my phone. 

While I was out, I had so much anxiety. All I thought about as I walked through the empty halls was, “Am I going to make it back to class on time?” It felt like I was being rushed. Man, if I can be blunt with you, I felt like a prison inmate.

That experience lowkey reminded me of my parents. They always rush me. We could literally be like a minute behind and they’ll be like, “We are a minute behind schedule we should be out the door by now, hurry up!” 

“It’s way too much work to go to the bathroom like I’m just trying to use the bathroom,”  Sophomore Lily Blinkinsop said, “It’s creepy and it makes me feel pressured like I feel so rushed.” 

Blinkinsop also expressed that the process for leaving the classroom with the E-hall pass was confusing and as for other people it makes them not want to use the bathroom anymore.

Frankly, I think this pass upgrade is very much extra, just the whole concept of being timed when leaving the classroom is just utterly ridiculous. These E-hall passes literally track our every move. Like what in the FBI is this?

I genuinely feel that the QR code pass and the lanyard were much faster and easier for students leaving the classroom. It was way more efficient and less time-consuming. That’s what made those passes better than our current ones.

“What we did before with the QR codes was better,” Sophomore student Lily Blinkinsop agrees. It was, “way easier and way less complicated.”

Even though I don’t fully support this idea, I understand that teachers are tired of students taking advantage of hall pass privileges because yes, it is unfair for the students who actually have to use the bathroom, go to a different classroom, etc. When students leave for long periods of time, it restricts the other students from doing what they need to do and I feel for the teachers and students who have to put up with those experiences.

I also feel that the e-hall pass will lessen the devious lick trend that’s been going on, but it’s the fact that the admin now has the ability to track us to this extreme extent. They even have us on a 10-minute time limit.

Although the time limit is ten minutes, anxiety for students increases. Time literally passes by so quickly. One minute you’re at one minute and the next minute it’s already at five. I think that it is a pretty decent amount of time but the anxiety that comes with this limit is rough. I feel that teachers should have the ability to adjust the time limit manually.

The school really has us on lock. Sounds a lot like being on parole and I only know that because one of my parents was a parole officer so don’t get any ideas y’all. 

Batteries dead.