This winter, like every winter, students at Hinsdale South select courses for the upcoming school year. It can be a challenging process, as students have to choose courses that fulfill the requirements for graduation and find the right balance between rigor and an overwhelming workload. Given these obstacles, it can be even more difficult for students to fit elective courses in area of interest into an already packed schedule, especially with only seven periods per day.

Before this year, Hinsdale South’s solution to the problem was Early Bird PE. Like many high schools, it offered students an opportunity to take PE before school, from 7:00 am to 7:50 am, which cleared room during the school day for an additional class. However, when course selection began at the beginning of 2024, freshmen, including myself, learned that Early Bird PE would not to be available to sophomores the following year, despite it having been offered in previous years. 

This seemed unfair to me and to other freshmen, as it meant we didn’t have the same opportunities as  sophomores of the past. Upon further questioning, counselors, who seemed just as confused as some students, said exceptions might be made for students in band or other ensembles but only for one semester. This is because sophomores have to take Health during the school day, as it cannot be taken during Early Bird. 

 Yet, the question remains for those who didn’t exist under those exceptions: would they just have to deal with this seemingly arbitrary change in the rules that took away their opportunities to take more courses? How would this impact the courses they would take later in high school?

The answer came on March 13th, in an email Assistant Principal Eric Martzoff sent to rising 9th and 10th grade students. After a meeting with the Board of Education, during which Hinsdale South students spoke on how this change would negatively impact them, it was decided that Early Bird PE would be available for all 9th and 10th graders, this time for two semesters instead of just one. 

This was great news at first, until I read the last part. The Google Form attached to the email stated that students would not be able to leave Early Bird PE for any clubs or activities, and would also have to take it for both semesters, even with Health during the day. In the past, students were regularly allowed to leave Early Bird PE early for clubs and activities, but that had changed. Once again, schedules had to be rearranged. I found myself in my guidance counselor’s office for a third time negotiating course selection.. 

Questions remain, even now, about how exactly the Early Bird PE situation will settle out. Will teachers enforce the new rules about attendance, or will they follow the same model as they have in the past? Upcoming sophomores won’t know until we show up to classes next year. In my opinion, more communication could have saved me and others much confusion regarding course selection for the upcoming year.