The new school year has brought several recognizable changes to policies at Dunbar. Perhaps the most drastic change is the new lunch policy. According to Principal Anthony Orr, the policy was changed at the beginning of the school year with the intention of keeping students out of the hallways during their lunches.

Students were originally given ten minutes to arrive in the cafeteria after their departure from class. At this time, students were to stay in the cafeteria until there were five minutes left in the lunch period.

However, this new policy, which also included the option of going to the gym foyer during lunch, was even further amended later in the year once the original plan raised safety concerns. A five-lunch system has now been implemented during third block to address these concerns.

To accomplish having five lunches during third block, five minutes were taken out of first block, and third block was provided with ten extra minutes. During the new one hour and 40 minute third block class, students get a 25 minute lunch period and time to view daily announcements via WPLD.

Dunbar students have mixed impressions of the new lunch policy. Some students are frustrated due to the reduced time during lunch. "I have difficulty with the fact that I can’t physically eat that fast," said junior Kate Hopgood.

Other students see positive changes within the policy. Senior Greg Hymas said, "I think the lunches are less crowded, and lunch lines are more efficient."

Another modified policy this year involves stricter dress code enforcement. Shorts and skirts must be "finger tip" length, as always, but now there are different punishments for refusing to comply with the rules. If the rule is now violated, the student will be asked to change into a pair of scrub-like pants. Also, the policy states that tops must have straps or sleeves that are the width of three fingers. Midriff-revealing tops are not allowed.

Rules involving cell phone use have also been amended. Since the beginning of the obsession with cell phone use among high school students, school faculty and staff have prohibited the use of cell phones during class. However, the struggle to keep cell phones out of the hands of students during class has now grown into a battle.

Sorry kids, the cell phones are still prohibited. In the past, when students violated the cell phone policy, offenses were counted in each individual class.

Now, the student’s cell phone offenses will be tallied as a cumulative number for all of their classes. Therefore, if a student is caught with a cell phone in one class, it counts against them in all their classes. This total number is monitored in Infinite Campus, similar to the way in which tardies are monitored.

Furthermore, if a student refuses to give a cell phone to a teacher who requests it will subject a student to various punishments, including suspension, depending on the student’s behavior.

Overall, new policies at Dunbar have created significant changes throughout the halls, changes that students find both challenging and necessary.