Students starting the school year may have noticed a new restriction put in place by administration. In the mornings, all gates to the halls of the school are closed, and students are locked into the commons until 7:05. Administrators have their reasons, but students have their disapproving opinions.

“Being in the cafeteria surrounded by people is uncomfortable, and trying to study or do homework while surrounded by people is frustrating,” senior Natalie Gill said, referencing the large crowds in the cafeteria in the morning.

In the old building, students could go wherever they wanted before school started. Many students would meet with teachers, discuss homework assignments and make up tests. This new restriction throws a wrench in the pre-established morning routines of many students.

“I understand wanting the school to stay nice and new, but not being able to get help with an assignment is annoying,” junior Samantha Slunaker said. “It’s something we’re going to have to live with, but I had to run to a classroom this morning to talk to a teacher about a homework assignment. I couldn’t do it until 7:05, and I had to figure everything out while also being on time to class.”

While many students aren’t pleased with this change, some teachers find it to be refreshing, as it gives them more time in the morning to get prepared for the day and adjust to the new school.

“The nice thing about it is that you can just focus on getting ready for the school day, without having to focus on helping students until school officially starts,” psychology teacher Sean Fowler said. “I think a lot of teachers will prefer it because it gives them dedicated time to themselves before school.”

“As a teacher, it’s kind of nice because we’re learning with new technology, and this is a chance to get stuff loaded and see if everything works,” English teacher Amy Stoker said. “I think once we’ve got through the learning curve, like after the first quarter, and teachers feel more confident with their technology and everything, I don’t see why they couldn’t lift that restriction a little and let students move around the school a bit more.”

Despite what some teachers and students think, it is not likely that this mandate will be lifted. The FHN faculty and principals instilled the cafeteria-lock-in to keep the new school clean and the student body safe. In order to maintain this, the school must continue to have eyes on all students in the morning.

“Are the restrictions going to loosen over time?” Associate Principal Brett Bevill said. “No, not really. We had some issues in the old building with not having students supervised. That’s one of the main things we have to make sure of, is that students are supervised at all times.”