Implementing recess would benefit everyone

MiaButler

As we approach the season of gratitude, I reflect on my own bounties and all the wonderful things in my life I am grateful for. One of those things is homeroom.

This 10-minute period of nothingness is all I need to revive me in the middle of the day. Kinda. Truthfully, it’s not all I need, and if I’m entirely honest, it’s not all I want either. What I want is recess.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m thankful for the time we have during passing periods to socialize, go to the vending machines, or just take a break in the Quad. However, despite these recess substitutes, I am not satisfied, and I doubt the majority of you are either.

Now, if your elementary recess was anything like mine, you spent 35 minutes on a playground, playing capture the flag, making a dance routine or walking laps while gossiping (not that I endorse gossiping). Although this is what I would ideally like at Marian, I understand that is entirely unrealistic for a multitude of reasons. One: although we have a beautiful campus, we don’t have a park. Two: who’s really going to make a dance routine? And three: when would we even have the time for that?

With all that considered, I suppose official recess is a no-go, but don’t worry, I have some wise suggestions to offer and science to back them up.

The CDC says that recess improves students’ “memory, attention, and con- centration,” and I can attest to that fact. How are we expected to sit quietly for eight hours and keep our brains consistently engaged? How are we supposed to avoid burn-out and fatigue when we have no movement? After all, movement is proven to be the mind’s caffeine; physical activity decreases anxiety and releases en- dorphins. What are endorphins? Oh, only the hormones that keep you awake, happy, energized and lower stress levels. Imagine how your grades and concentration in the classroom could improve if you were happier, awake and not stressed.

Do you see where I am going with this?

Some form of recess is absolutely vital to students, and especially to our perfor- mances. Playground or not, a physical and mental break is still manageable. Here are my ideas:

Tetherball. This super-easy-super-fun game could be set up right outside the Quad doors in the circle drive. Girls could go outside during lunch and play a quick game, releasing endorphins and having fun. Tetherball is practical and cheap. Amazon has a selection of tetherball sets for only $100, the perfect price for Marian to pay so students can improve their academics and quality of life.

My next idea comes in at a whopping $0. Gym time. Open up the gym (whatever one isn’t being used for P.E. class) to the student body to use during study hall or lunch. Teachers could even join in on this break, too! We already have the beyond the needed equipment for this to be a reality. Imagine the wonders a quick 10-minute game of dodgeball or hu-la-hooping could do for you!

Lastly, I believe, and this could be controversial, but we could dedicate some CABs, or at least a portion of some CABs, for just plain old recess. An hour and half break for play and talking wouldn’t be that awful, would it?

The recess-like options are right in front of us. Let’s kick off this season of gratefulness by being thankful for reaping the benefits of recess, and really prac- tice our gratitude by granting recess(ish) accessibility. Grades, mental health and physical health could all improve, so what’s the wait?