By: Jacob Insley

   With all the snow days Marriotts Ridge has experienced in the winter months, the county has made a bold executive decision; all schools are going to enforce an additional two minutes. The two minute extension will take place on May 4th and will be added to the first period of the day, a time in which most students are barely awake. This new change has already sparked widespread discussion among students and teachers, with some seeing the new enforcement as a minor annoyance, and others viewing the extension almost on par with the phone ban. Juniors and underclassmen in particular have not been thrilled with the new addition, viewing the extension as more of a test of patience rather than an attempt to meet a quota.  

   “What does a two minute extension do to educational time? It doesn’t give any benefits,” junior Zachary Ward states. Many of the underclassmen feel that the addition won’t make a valuable contribution and make up for the days that were missed due to snow days or inclement weather. Most staff feel the same way about the extension, considering they are in the building just as long as students.

   “I believe that the extension isn’t going to be able to make up for any of the missed days, especially not two minutes,” math teacher Mrs. Angel explains. With schools needing to meet an annual quota of 1170 hours, two minutes seemed like the best approach according to the board, yet teachers still disagree.

   “Two minutes isn’t enough for any high-quality instructional time, students will most likely spend it simply sitting at their desks,” states Ms. Milani. The prolongation sparks the question of students and teachers debating whether this extension holds any real value. Even wondering if the extension would be strictly enforced, or if most people will simply neglect the change.

   Underclassmen and administration have been discussing the productiveness of the extension. However, seniors seem relatively unfazed by this new change because most of them are counting down the days until their early graduation.

   “It’s just another two extra minutes added to the start of the day, but I don’t really care since I’ll graduate soon,” senior Andy Rhodes says. There seems to be a common mindset concerning the new extension among the seniors. Some argue that a time as small as a hundred and twenty seconds would go completely unnoticed, only blending into the first period.

   After May 4th, students and staff prepare for the small and yet controversial change. Whether the addition proves to be useful or completely pointless, one thing is agreed upon; the two minutes will feel a lot longer than they sound.