Eyva's and Terrance's coors working on a project with Karen's coor.
Nova is well known for its strong community, which is uncharacteristic of any other Seattle high school. Many people would attribute this to the uniqueness of the student body, or the substantial control students have over the decisions of the school. We have gone so far as to provide specific time devoted to the bonding of students. Family Community time, or Coor time, is a weekly period wherein students spend time with their Coor group getting to know one another. Up until this year, Nova had Coor time every Monday from 1:40 till 2:25. However, this year we have seen the advent of Thursday Family Community time, a second Coor time from 2:30 till 3:55. Since then, this time has been an issue discussed often between the students. Many believe that the time could be better spent doing school work or other activities, feeling that the additional hour and twenty-five minutes is a frivolous waste of time. Others believe that the time allows the bond shared by a Coor group to grow that much more. Either way, the idea brings up strong opinions in most.
Coor time provides students another opportunity to earn a class credit each semester, which also makes it a mandatory ‘class’. However, attendance is somewhat more spotty than that of a normal class, with numerous students that simply never go. Out of ten students interviewed, only five said that they attended Thursday Coor regularly. Many interviewed also said that they feel they don’t go as often as they should or are meant to. During the interviews, many of the answers students gave were less than serious, illustrating an all around aloof attitude towards Thursday Coor.
The efficient use of time is important for students, many who need any moment available for school work and assorted extra-curricular activities. A total of two hours and ten minutes a week are devoted specifically to Coor time, a relatively significant amount. Generally, each Coor decides exactly how their time should be used, as long as it helps to strengthen their friendships with each other. The time is spent doing things like making food, working on projects together, or just relaxing and talking. However, while many students believe that this is time well spent, others are not so sure. It’s disputed that the added Thursday time is longer than necessary or even reasonable. When interviewed, second year Nova student Clare Tonelli said, “I don’t know if it’s good for other Coors, but for mine it is definitely not efficient.” She goes on to say, “My Coor is already strong enough, we don’t need this much time.” Another second year student – Chris Clinke – said, “I don’t find it constructive in any way.” Other students, while less opinionated, also believe that the time is too much. When asked if Thursday Coor should even exist, first year student Ona Kroesen responded, “Yes, but it shouldn’t be an hour and a half”.
Overall, most students interviewed took issue with the Thursday Coor time; out of ten interviewed only two said that it should even exist. Many gave their own ideas on how to improve the situation. Four different students said that Nova should only employ Monday Coor time, simply making it somewhat longer if necessary. When asked if changing the scheduled time would be beneficial, Clare Tonelli said “I think if it were a time that doesn’t interfere with Monday – Friday and Tuesday – Thursday blocks like Wednesday.” Regardless of their opinions, this debate should be carried on by students so that a proper solution can be found for this dispute. All in all, the efficient use of time is an important factor for any high school student, and we should all take it upon ourselves to make sure that our time is properly used.
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