Media Center Opening Times Difference from Average Thursday March 31st : 7:43 0:07 Thursday April 7th : 7:35 -0:01 Friday April 8th : 7:36 -0:01 Monday April 11th: 7:37 0:01 Tuesday April 12th : 7:33 -0:03 Thursday April 14th : 7:33 -0:03 Friday April 15th : 7:41 0:05 Average Opening Time: 7:36 Average Difference: .714285714285714 minutes = 42.857142857142858 seconds Total Average: 7:36 ± 42.857 seconds The data presented here shows the times that the Media Center opened on 7 separate days. So on any Monday, Tuesday, Thursday or Friday, the Media Center opens, on average, at 7:36, plus or minus 43 seconds. However, we must go deeper, so let’s put this into context. The sign posted on the doors to the Media Center claims opening times to be exactly 7:30 am. This means that on average, the Media Center is late in opening by 6 minutes. With the days I actually took data, (because screw waking up early on a Wednesday,) unless the media center opens at (6×4=24) 7:06 every Wednesday, which, I can’t be sure of, at the end of the week, there is, on average, a 24 minute deficit of time. Media Center’s Theoretical Opening Time: 7:30 Actual Times Difference from 7:30 3/31 7:43 13 minutes late 4/7 7:35 5 minutes late 4/8 7:36 6 minutes late 4/11 7:37 7 minutes late 4/12 7:33 3 minutes late 4/14 7:33 3 minutes late 4/15 7:41 11 minutes late Looking at the data, there are plenty of days where the Media Center opens around 7:33, just 3 minutes off target. Now, in the grand scheme of things, the universe, human existence, etc, etc, 3 minutes is no big deal. But, my dear reader, let’s look at the double standard here. Hypothetically, if a student were to show up to their 1st period class 3 minutes late on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday, what would happen? Saturday School, or restricted lunch, or whatever they’re doing now days. And, realistically, if I showed up to class 3 minutes late, four days a week, what would happen? I’d get punished through the usage of some punishment (hint: restricted lunch.) In regards to students, the theoretical system and what actually happens is the same. Now, I think we all understand the concept behind punishing tardies and unexcused absences. We might not like the system, but it’s (probably) there to prepare students for when they actually have a job, where being late pretty much means docked pay and/or getting fired, going broke, and dying alone and unwanted. Theoretically. The administration’s goal of creating students who are on time to classes is a remarkable and noble, if not a too Utopian ideal. However, how can they justify upholding such policies, such practices upon students, when their very own media center fails to open by 7:30 am, the promised time? When adults in this building can’t adhere to their own, set opening times, how can anyone expect the same from students? Are the members of the Media Center staff subjected to horrible restricted lunches? Were they held to Saturday School? If they were, then the said policy hasn’t worked. If they have not been subjected to such policies, there’s a double standard. You can’t justify this hypocrisy (if you can, let’s hear it). Either open at 7:30 am like the sign says, or change the sign to 7:36:42. If Ames High’s tardy/unexcused absence policy, or really any and every Ames High policy, is meant to prepare the students for the real world, this double standard is a sacrilege upon all such ideals.