Off Campus

Photo by Dry Gultch Gazette taken in 2019 The taco truck is a common place where students off campus get their food. It is parked near S hall and there everyday.

By Lilianna Agatupu

Every day at lunch the only thing that keeps 9th and 10th graders on campus while the 11th and 12th graders get to leave is a simple ID check. As students leave campus, AHS administrators and security officers check the ID of each student, looking for the vertical ID cards issued only to juniors and seniors.

One AHS freshman realized a way around this. They made their own fake ID for AHS so they would be able to go off campus with their upperclassmen friends without being sent back to campus.

“I made my own fake ID for AHS on Snapchat and it was easier than I expected. I asked my friend who is a senior for his ID and I just put my photo over his. If I get asked for my ID I show that, rather than my actual one.” an AHS freshman said.

Freshman and sophomores aren’t allowed to go off campus during lunch. However many still sneak off campus a lot during lunch, and it’s been a common trend for years. Whether it’s going to the taco truck, 7-11 or “the elote man.” Some sneak off to be with their upperclassmen friends or to get better food with more options to pick from. Some made themselves fake AHS IDs; so when asked for their ID it seems like they’re a junior or senior. As many students find ways around the off-campus policy, some are questioning why the policy even exists in the first place.

Assistant principal Kristian Hinz says this policy has been around for as long as he can remember.

“I’ve been informed that it’s a long time SLZUSD rule that applies to SLZ, East Bay Arts, Arroyo. But it’s always been like that. Even people who went here when they were students and that are now teachers they said that they weren’t allowed to leave either, so it sounds like it is just a tradition that’s existed throughout the years.” Hinz said.

Some find this policy pointless since many freshmen and sophomores sneak off campus still. It is a policy that is not respected by some students. In a survey that was given to over 100 under class men at AHS, 86.9% think freshman and sophomores should be allowed off campus.

“I do think it can be pointless at times because our school is strict, but not strict enough about underclassmen that go off campus. “ am AHS sophomore said. “It’s like they aren’t getting what they’re going for with this policy because they’re not strict enough to the point where it’s a respected policy, but not lenient enough to the point where it doesn’t exist.”

Although this is a policy, Hinz gets why underclassmen sneak off campus. There are a lot more options outside of AHS than in.

“It just kind of a lot more options and also they want to test the boundaries. Sometimes they have older siblings or older friends and want to hangout with so they kind of try.” Hinz said.

Campus security officer Laura Noddin thinks they’re responsible for students at AHS. Parents expect their kind to be on campus since it is a policy.

“The rule is, and the parents are trusting we’re doing what we’re supposed to, is that they’re not supposed to so the answer is no freshman and sophomore should not be able to go off campus.” Noddin said.

If students wanted this policy to change it would be a long process that everyone would be willing to participate in.

“I find the students here to be very respectful. I find them to be very responsible.” Hinz said. ”So you know maybe that’s something that needs to be examined. But that would have to be the community, the students, the school board, the district, families. Everyone would have to come together and decide what’s most important.”

Freshman and sophmores wish for this policy to change so they wouldn’t get in trouble for going off campus during lunch.

“I think there are positives and negatives that come with changing the policy, with the positives being that there is a more overall satisfied student body and more change to the policies the school has as there are a lot of policies and rules that have not been updated in a while. Negatives would be it would be harder to control and regulate the student body if everyone went off campus and new problems would arise, maybe there would be more parents complaining.” AHS sophomore said.