Joyce Liu ’27
Mia Favini ’27
A new policy has been implemented in Episcopal’s current 2024-25 academic year where sophomores are required to attend study halls. These are held like a class, with a designated room and a proctor who takes attendance. In previous years, however, these students received free periods from their sophomore year onwards, a practice that should still be continued today.
Michael Letts, Head of the Upper School, specified why we have study halls to begin with. For freshmen, any free block within their schedule is assigned to a study hall. This teaches them that homework is a priority. Letts explains, “Most students take six classes as a sophomore. So we’ll give you one free and one study hall. You can see, like, what we’re trying to do. In ninth grade, you need to worry about getting your stuff done. 10th grade, hey, you’re a little bit older. We’re gonna give you a little freedom.” This change is to ensure that sophomores know the usefulness of free time whilst having more freedom. If a sophomore is taking seven classes, the student and their form dean can decide mutually whether the student should be placed in a study hall or in a free block. For juniors and seniors, any block not occupied by a class is a free block.
Photo courtesy of Carter Yearley ’25
But why should underclassmen have to be confined to a space with a proctor, when they could be given a free block? There is also some confusion around the proper protocol for meeting with teachers during study halls. Hannah Todd ’28 notes, “You have to be in a certain spot, and if you want to go talk to a teacher, you have to ask the proctor. You don’t want to come all the way to the library just to [ask for permission and] walk all the way back to the Upper School.” However, according to Upper School administration, proctors should allow students to meet as long as a teacher emails ahead of time. Regardless of their grade, a student should have the right to use their free time as they see fit without consulting a proctor.
Because students have to wait for their proctors to arrive so they can be accounted for before going elsewhere, a small number have had issues where the proctor arrived late. Connor Myers ’27 explains, “If I want to go to the bathroom, I have to wait for my proctor to come. Sometimes, they come 20 minutes late, and I have to sit in the classroom waiting for them. That way, I can still be marked as present.” Alternatively, if a student has plans to meet with a teacher, they risk losing productive meeting time and being marked absent if they decide to leave and the proctor arrives later. Of course, teachers have a large amount of meetings, classes, grading, and other tasks that they might prioritize over proctoring underclassmen in the library. This is another reason why these study halls are nothing but a burden to everyone involved.
Study halls also hinder student’s ability to work productively because of their atmosphere and location. Lindy Schmedlen ’27 says, “A lot of times, in study halls, friends are talking or laughing loudly. And sometimes, I just need a quiet space to focus on my work.” Many students treat study halls like a free period and socialize or play games during the designated time. But, because these students are in a proctored study hall, they also distract other students who are trying to work. If underclassmen had free periods, students who do not have work can socialize in their lounge or other areas, while students who need to focus can find a location where they work best.
The location of study halls can also pose an issue. Muriel Fitz-Kaltenmeier ’27 explains, “If I had my study hall in the library, it would be a lot better for me. Instead, I had mine on the third floor of the Upper School, and now I have the guitar room.” Fitz-Kaltenmeier’s current study hall is not only inconvenient because of its location in the Campus Center but also because the classroom itself (a music room) is unfit for studying.
Not only do students find their own study spaces to be a better environment than study halls, but teachers also feel the same way. Andrew Newton, an Upper School math teacher, says, “Almost all the time, I feel like I can still be productive in a study hall. However, I feel more productive in my office.” Teachers also have to face the same distractions.
Ultimately, study halls at EA are meant to promote a student’s productivity. However, it may be time to reconsider the structure of a study hall. Because some students and teachers find it hinders their ability to study due to inconveniences such as location, students within that study hall, and the proctors, EA should consider reinstating free blocks to those students who find it most effective to their learning.