Leadership puts on a handful of rallies during Academy period over the course of the school year in an effort to promote school spirit. Teachers walk their students down to the big gym and students settle in as deafening music blares.

While I’m all for school spirit, using the Academy period for rallies takes critical teacher support time away from students. Attending rallies during Academy period should not be mandatory.

The whole idea behind Academy is to provide student-teacher interaction for the purpose of academic support. But rallies limit the time that students can be working.

“To use our Academy time for a school event, like a rally, rather than using a lunch makes no sense,” said sophomore Noam Ayalon.

This attitude is shared by some teachers. “While rallies are entertaining and get kids motivated for certain events, there is always a population of students trying to get work done or makeup tests,” said Spanish teacher Leticia Deltoro-Gasquy.

Academics should come before spirit.  Therefore, rally attendances should be optional.  Teachers should remain in their classrooms during rallies so that those students who wish to receive help are able to get it.

Block schedule was implemented to help alleviate the immense burden under which students on a high-performing, highly stressful high school campus operate. Academy was part of that original promise.

If Leadership continues to insist on offering rallies during the Academy period, then student attendance at these rallies should be an option, not a requirement.