Alex Martin ’14 | Staff Writer

Movies depict this consequence as a time to whisper to other classmates when the teacher leaves the room. In reality, silence is mandatory as students are required to complete essays in this place called “detention.”

Ranging from a one hour to two hour time frame, detentions are not meant as study halls, but a time to remind students why they shouldn’t be skipping class, Assistant Principal Debbie Higgins said. Detentions are meant to discourage bad habits when it comes to attendance and failure to complete homework.

“We are actually trying to reduce the number of detentions by encouraging students to get to class,” said Higgins. “So we are really putting an emphasis on how important your class is, and we have actually the last quarter. We’ve seen a reduction in detentions which is what I want.”

Whether or not this old-school method is effective in teaching students a lesson is a concern, Higgins said. During detentions, students are given an essay assignment to complete, usually writing about what they have done wrong.

“(On the effectiveness of the essay assignments), it depends on the person,” said Matt Wronski ’13. “It doesn’t really help me, but I guess it could help some people with teaching them a lesson.”

Although writing an essay may not have to do with one’s school assignments, they are a consequence to missing work, Principal Dr. Matt Outlaw said.

“The assignment is directly connected with making corrections to behavior,” said Outlaw. “I think that it’s not a tutorial; it’s a punishment, so the goal of the punishment is to change behavior. The paper is meant to help change behavior. I very much support the assignments.”

When students receive detentions because of general misbehavior such as cheating, plagiarism or disrespect, the essay assignments may be effective, Chemistry teacher Jessica Haggerty said.

“I think if students saw it as a big study hall, if they forgot to do an assignment, they can use the detention to do it,” said Haggerty. “So I do think the essays are important.”

While students would prefer spending their time in detention actually accomplishing something, the essays penalize students for skipping classes, Holly Daywalt ’16 said.

“It’s showing students that just because they are going to this place after school, that doesn’t mean that they can do what they might at home,” said Daywalt. “It’s a punishment because a lot of people probably don’t want to write an essay.”

Detentions are administered through the attendance office, Attendance Secretary Mary Jo Lauscher said. An unexcused absence gives a student an hour detention, and if there is another unexcused in that same class, the student gets a two hour detention.

“The ultimate purpose for any disciplinary infraction is to change behavior,” said Outlaw.  “That’s bottom line all of it and that’s one of the interventions.  So it’s hopeful that it would be a deterrent from students making bad decisions.”