By LINDA WESTERFELD

As many students know, study halls can be the most boring part of school unless one has homework to do. A possible solution has been brought before Student Council by Larry Portman, president, and several other members ‑non‑mandatory study halls. This is a system whereby any student may leave the building during his study hail or lunch period or he can remain on the Maine West campus. Study halls would be completely voluntary.

A Student Council committee, after researching the problems‑pro and con‑will submit a basic plan with the least amount of difficulties, for approval.

Difficulties is the key word. For there are many pro's and con's being presented both by Mr. Eldon Burk, assistant principal, and Student Council. No transportation for over 50 percent of the students, difficulties in disciplining those violating this privilege, food planning and ordering in the cafeteria, and counselors being unable to get in touch with students during study halls are just a few.

There are just as many pros. It would reduce crowding at lunch and study; many teachers would be released from study hall duties; and, as Mr. Burk

states, the only dominant pro he can see in this situation would be that students wouldn't have to go to study halls.

The question seems to be will the pro's outweigh the con's sufficiently enough to merit the new system being put into effect. The con's are strong but it has worked in other schools. Maybe if Student Council can study the system in other schools and how they brought it about, this will give them a guideline to help them reduce the con's and thus get a workable plan to be put into effect. As far as counselors getting in touch with students, they might possibly be able to send slips to them during one of their regular classes such as they have been doing when they wish to get in touch with a student. Then the student will know he must stay for his study.

This type of open campus can be very important to a school that is trying to progress toward a more modern form of education. Schools all over the country are making strides toward modernization. PAR was instituted to give students a chance to learn how to handle more responsibility. This idea of giving the student more responsibility for his actions has been one of the pro's brought up in Student Council for having an open campus also. We will all just have to wait and see what the committee can come up with.