At the beginning of the 2016-2017 school year, Melissa High School students found that they would be a part of a big change called Mega-Lunch. Students discovered that they would have an hour to socialize or get work done during this time, but with this came 50 minute detentions to those who were assigned them. A week before Mega-Lunch started on Sept. 26, Principal Wooten held meetings with each grade level separately by gender. During these meetings Mr. Wooten explained the rules and regulations for Mega-Lunch, in which the 50 minute detentions were brought up. He explained that the detentions would be held during the first 50 minutes of Mega-Lunch in the auxiliary gym and that students would be given the last 10 minutes to eat.

Students thought the first offense for a tardy, or any other situation that may lead to a detention, would automatically earn them a 50 minute lunch detention. Ms. Hernandez explained that the first offense is still a 30 minute detention served either in the morning or in the afternoon. The action performed by a student will determine the length of the detention a student serves, but typically the 50 minute detention is for repeat offenders only. When asked if she felt like the 50 minute detentions were more effective than the 30 minute detentions, Ms. Hernandez stated, “I think they are effective only because it’s taking social time away from students who could potentially have an hour lunch. It’s a deterrent because it’s very uncomfortable to sit still and not do anything.”

The continuous change of school supervisors, along with a growing student body, at Melissa High School has resulted in new changes that are only aimed to make our school and students better.