With many Mounds View students having free hours, there has always been a question of where to put them during the school day. In years past, the library has been the primary location for students during free hours. However, two years ago, school administrators changed the location of free hours to the forum. With the forum being less adapted for student use, I strongly recommend returning free hours to the library.

Firstly, it is important to consider why the forum was made the destination for free hours in the first place. One reason was that student supervision was easier in that space. “Supervision is more straightforward here in the forum, and separating the kids who are on study hour or online hours from kids who are using the library for other reasons helps to just keep focused on what the library is for,” said Associate Principal Benjamin Chiri.

Another main issue with free hours in the library was student absenteeism. “There were just many, many kids skipping class, and it was hard to tell who was supposed to be in the library… Kids would come to Mustang Mocha on a pass from their classes, and they’d hang out in the library,” said Chiri. With free hours in the forum, student distraction from other classes is less of an issue according to Chiri. While this initial policy was a response to the rising issues of poor supervision and the goal of maintaining stricter hall monitoring, it is time to reevaluate whether keeping free hours in the forum will continue benefiting students now and in the future. 

One of the most obvious issues I have with the forum is its limited space. Rows of seats stacked on each other make it difficult for students to move comfortably throughout the space without awkwardly trying to avoid other people. Not only is the limited space uncomfortable, but loud conversations can be easily heard and distract students trying to engage in their schoolwork. 

Moreover, the room’s atmosphere is not suited for students. The dim lighting and lack of natural light throughout the day make the area feel gloomy, and it becomes very hot and stuffy from so many people being contained in such a small space. This issue is amplified by rules that do not allow students to go to other spaces without permission from their deans. For example, I have been kicked out of the gym numerous times during free hours even with trainers present and permitting me to use equipment.

On the other hand, the benefits of changing free hours to the library are clear. The library contains many different chairs and desks spread out over a spacious area with large windows allowing natural light to enter the room. This would make it feel much more open for students, and there would be less of an issue with varying temperatures and lighting, which would make free hours more comfortable for students overall.

One of the issues that the administration brings up with the library is the difficulty of monitoring students in the library. However, this was an issue in the past because librarians were the ones who held most of the responsibility for keeping track of students. Because of the many other things they need to attend to throughout the day and the size of the library, this is a difficult — if not impossible — task. 

Nonetheless, with the current supervision by paraeducator Paul Cicmil during free hours, there can be more support for providing supervision over students in the library. It is also important to note that few classes regularly meet in the library, leaving the library relatively empty throughout the day. Therefore, returning free hours to the library will also make the space feel alive again instead of an empty, unused space.

With more space and comfort, relocating free hours to the library is a feasible step that will improve the well-being of Mounds View students. While immediately implementing such a change might not be easy, I urge this school’s administration to consider moving free hours back to the library as soon as possible because the benefits will be worth it.