Starting this year, we have a walking counselor.  His role is to help monitor and ensure safety throughout the building.  This involves making sure students and visitors are where they are supposed to be.

“It’s not fair that in past years those classes got to sit in there, and now they don’t let us sit there,” senior Brian Kuehnle said.

The administration notes that this has always been a rule.

“The rule has always been the same, but with the new walking counselor enforcing the rule, students are now more aware of the rule,” senior principal Beth Middendorf said.

The new walking counselor is choir teacher Brian Parrish.

“As the walking counselor I ensure that students do not sit in the senior lounge area doing class time” Parrish said

Some late arrival, and early dismissal students do not like this action.

“I don’t think that there should be anything wrong with sitting there, it’s not like we are disrupting anything, or distracting anyone,” Kuehnle said.

Students who have late arrival and early dismissal sign an agreement that states the expectations for those students.

“The expectation for those students is that they are not on campus, and if they are, they go wait in the library,” Middendorf said.

Safety for those students with late arrival and early dismissal is also a concern.

“If students were sitting in the senior lounge and there was a fire, they would not be accounted for.  When they are in the library, they sign in and we can ensure they are accounted for in case of an emergency,” Middendorf said.