With the new mandated start time for high schools being changed to 8:30 AM, giving us a later start time and an even later release time, it’s clear that something a lot of us don’t have is time. Most days it feels like there aren’t enough hours in the day for school, homework, extracurricular activities, and time for family and friends. But one specific part of the day always manages to feel like time is just slipping by, the 10 minutes of snack we are given. 

Downey is a big school, and of course, has a big student population, everyone is accustomed to the crowded hallways, and long lines for lunch, snack, and restrooms, as soon as the bell rings you already know what to expect the school to look like. Snack is just as crowded and chaotic, everyone together in the quad to meet friends, just passing by, or trying to get a snack. 

I know I am not the only one who has to call or text their friends, trying to find each other in the short ten minutes we are afforded only to spend the majority of the time looking for each other. Even if you already have a meet-up stop there’s no guarantee everyone will be there in time, one has to talk to a teacher, another is trying to get a snack, and one needs to use the restroom. 

But possibly the worst part of having such a short time for doing all sorts of things is when you don’t get to one and it digs into your time getting to class or even class time. And if you don’t take that risk you try asking your teacher if you can do whatever is it you need to only to be asked, ‘why didn’t you just do it during snack?’ 

While I understand where the teachers are coming from, a student needs cutting into their time to teach, which is limited itself; however with how crazy snack gets, is it such an impossible notion to need some extra time to go to the restroom?

Therefore, wouldn’t it be better to just cut out the middleman and get some more time for snack? 

With the recent changes in the school schedule, a change some students don’t enjoy within itself, it begs the question: is it possible to bend the schedule to give students more time for their snack? Even an extra five minutes means more time to spend with friends, preparing for their next class, using the restroom, and eating a snack. Just five minutes could make a difference.