Student field trips provide value

Nathan Baldwin, Editor

The senior year is often viewed as a time when seniors routinely leave school and miss class. This pattern is often criticized under the belief that time not spent in class is detrimental to the seniors who are missing.

However, there are many seniors who are able to maintain their grades while often missing class. Furthermore, the class time missed is often times comprised of field trips for senior level classes, one of the most beneficial things they can do their last year.

Field trips provide a controlled environment where students can explore the world they live in and potential futures while still in school.

A great example of field trips allowing students to learn more about the world and to learn about potential careers is the field trips taken by veteran science teacher Beth Eddy’s Material Science Engineering class. That class takes periodic field trips throughout the year, more often than not missing additional classes to allow more time, to various manufacturing and industrial locations.

Field trips allow students to see the real world implications of what they have discussed in class. These trips potentially open their eyes to what they may do and love for the rest of their working life.

For example, South senior Lilah Benjamin said she enjoys field trips because, “they give me a visual experience for learning rather than just being told about things. It helps to have an experience to remember.”

That’s why I advocate for missing class, but only for good reasons. Because seniors are about to move into the real world, they deserve to have experiences outside of the classroom to prepare them to face reality.