SILENT STUDENTS: Students complete homework in detention.
Cartoon courtesy of Annie Le ’27
Many students see study halls as a time to relax and catch up on work, so it’s strange that detentions at Episcopal are treated the same way. This sentiment raises the question: why does a supposed punishment feel the same as a free period?
Detentions are handed out by faculty most commonly for minor infractions, such as arriving late to homeroom or violations of the dress code. Despite their intent to enforce school rules, detentions in their current state appear to be an ineffective disciplinary tool.
The very structure of detentions often looks different from the severity often associated with the concept of detention. “Students are assigned detention by the form deans, and then they come to me, they sign in, we put their phones in the box, and then they’re asked to just get work done, much like a study hall,” says detention proctor and Upper School science teacher George Lorenson. Notably, when considering the difference between detention and a study hall, he adds, “Detention is during Domino, and you really aren’t allowed to leave if you want to go get help or something. But other than that, it’s similar.” The resemblance to study halls makes detentions seem inconsequential in the eyes of a student. After all, most students treat it the same as they would a regular Domino period, doing work in just a slightly more restrictive environment. Because of this, detention may function less as a deterrent to bad behavior and more like a minor inconvenience that students don’t take seriously.
Beyond how detention is conducted, there are questions about whether the infractions that lead to it are justified in the first place. Kalabe Sebsibe ’27, who received a detention after a tardy bus led to being late for homeroom, felt the punishment of detention was unfair. “I feel like that’s pretty unjustified,” he expresses. “I know they’re doing it because a lot of people are skipping classes, so it’s like they’re kind of representing the majority with the minority.” His criticism raises a new point, as detentions are often handed out for broad reasons–not only for large violations of the rules, like skipping classes, but also small mistakes such as wearing the wrong sweatshirt.
It must be noted, however, that many faculty members argue that detention still serves a purpose in maintaining accountability within the school. IV Form Dean Tanuja Murray emphasizes that detention is meant to build habits that extend past school and into adulthood. “In a school environment, that is what it is,” she says. “In the real world, if you’re late to work for two weeks, you get fired. So we’re trying to teach you that it’s important to be on time.”
Even so, some faculty acknowledge the absence of true discipline. As faculty member Michael Whalen ’08 notes, “If detentions are you sitting in a classroom and you’re able to play games on your laptop and do homework, I wouldn’t say there’s really any active punishment there.” In fact, many students who’ve experienced it simply think of it as a routine and largely inconsequential part of their schedule. Gabby Chirinos ’28 describes detention as “pretty relaxed,” suggesting an environment lacking the rigidity many people think of when they think of detention.
Ultimately, while detention is meant to reinforce responsibility within the student body, its current structure may be lowering its effectiveness. Seen as just another section of time allotted to schoolwork, detentions aren’t being viewed as the punishment they should be. This flimsy practice may lack the impact to influence student behavior.
Moreover, when applied to both lesser and more serious infractions, it loses its value as a meaningful consequence. Perhaps categorizing infractions into levels of severity could result in more appropriate punishments, unlike the current detention-focused system. For example, according to the Upper School Student Handbook, demerits serve as the first line of action for minor infractions, yet teachers are quick to skip straight to handing out detentions.
Although some see it as a tool for accountability, their frequency causes most students to see it as simply a minor inconvenience, which raises the question: Do detentions even hold value anymore? It certainly does not seem so.