Disrupting class nearly every day, a list of names is called on the intercom summoning kids to the office. Once inside, students are given a number and told “no talking and no cell phones.” Students wait in silence for their number to be called, so they can be scheduled a detention after school. The whole process can take up to ten minutes of class time which is ironic since these students are in trouble for skipping class.

The stereotypical image of a rebel teen with piercings, tattoos, and a cigarette in hand is in almost everyone’s mind when they think about the kids who skip class. However, this does not hold true for the students at Ames High waiting to hear their number called.

Ames High is one of the top high schools in the state. Teachers beleaguer students with tests and busy work, which results in exhaustion and stress.  It turns out that a great deal of  students skip class to study for an upcoming exam or to finish a paper.

“Sometimes I just feel like I need another day to study for a test,” junior Ahmed Atroon said.

In contrast to the stereotypical image of slackers, some of Ames High’s most dedicated students are skipping class.

“My classes are really stressful and sometimes I need to take a mental holiday,” senior Rohan Nayer said.

Self proclaimed “try hards” have found multiple ways to avoid getting in trouble for skipping class.

“School is really tiring,” junior Akash Mitra said. “sometimes I skip my Iowa State class because they don’t take attendance and I don’t get in trouble.”

On the other side, when classes are too easy, students may not feel the need to go to class.

“Some classes are just stupid and we don’t do anything. I don’t want to waste my time sitting there,” junior Christopher Sanchez said.

When a student is not feeling well, it can be very difficult to get permission to leave through the school nurse. It takes a long time to be approved ill enough to go home and you have to call your parents and get permission.

“If I don’t feel good, I just leave,” Atroon said.

Of course, there are always those students just skip for fun.

“Sometimes I go home, sometimes I sleep in, sometimes I go to the cafeteria and talk to people, and sometimes my friends and I go out, ” said Sanchez.

Maybe students skip class for fun or maybe they need to study.

“Who knows? Maybe they are trying to go out and save the world,” senior Brandon Ovalle said.

There needs to be a  more efficient system of assigning detention. It’s clear that students are skipping class because they are exhausted, and it makes no sense making them miss more class to get detention.  We should look at starting classes later and perhaps a few more three day weekends. We need to make sure that class time is being used wisely and that it is worth the time to go to class. Students are not going to stop skipping class, but Ames High could definitely make some improvements to reduce the numbers.