by Cassie Florido

Twice a day, everyday.

It’s something we, as STA students, do without question. Everyday we pull up to school and make the walk to our advisories and check in. We say hello to our advisor, write our initials on paper, put our stick in a cup or place our name tag in the allotted spot. Any method advisories use, we have to prove we are at school by 7:45 a.m.

Then, we walk to our next class, only to go through the same process again as the teacher takes attendance.

Didn’t I just check in five minutes ago?

I don’t think I left school anytime between 7:45 and 7:50.

I promise, I’m still here.

So, why do we need to have that first initial check in with our advisories?

Don’t get me wrong, I love saying good morning to my advisor, but what is the point of checking in if we are going to do the same thing five minutes later?

Again, during our last class, we go through the same attendance process. Teacher takes attendance. We sit through the 40-minute class. The bell rings. We walk to advisory. Check out.

Why is it so important to prove that I’m still at school even after the last bell has rang?

Didn’t I just say I was here last period? My teacher wouldn’t just let me leave during the middle of class.

I swear I was here during my last class.

So, I ask, do we really need to check in and out with advisory?

Climbing those Donnelly stairs to the third floor is not how I want to start or end my day. It begins to seem even more pointless when my teachers take roll anyway.

If students are late in the morning, they check in with the office. If students leave early, they check out with the office. Anyway you put it, students are being held accountable by either their teachers or administrators in the office.

But what about students with frees during the first and last period, you ask.

Well, the only students not required to be held accountable are juniors and seniors, due to underclassmen having accountability sheets.

If seniors have a last period free, they are able to leave school early by checking out with the office. Therefore, really the only people to worry about are the juniors. My solution is, why don’t we just have juniors with period one or nine frees check in and out with the office?

With this method, everyone is accounted for and advisory check in could be put to an end.

I know advisories are a special part of STA and are meant to create a sense of unity with groups of students. However, while checking in and out, the unity is nonexistent.

I walk into advisory, check in, and walk right back out. Sometimes no words come out of my mouth at all. The rush to get to class or get to the parking lot takes away most of the possibility of advisory interaction.

Advisories are a huge part of the STA tradition. However, checking in and out is the downfall of advisories.

Recently, I asked one of my friends, “What’s the point of checking in and out?”

After about 3 seconds of looking to the ceiling and pondering the question, my friend laughed and said, “I have no idea.”

So, what is the point?