Sophomore Cody Robertson passes time after school at school

For most students, when the last bell rings, it’s a speed walk toward the parking lot in a desperate attempt to avoid traffic. Sophomore Cody Robertson, however, makes his way not to the parking lot, but to the end of the lower C hallway.

At the end of the hallway, near drama teacher Jon Copeland’s room, Robertson joins his friends every day for 45 minutes to an hour after school. There, Robertson and his friends engage in games and conversations, along with homework on occasion.

Robertson decided to stay after school with his friends since he believed it was a good bonding experience as he waits for his mother to pick him up. Robertson’s mom works nearby, so, according to Robertson, it’s more efficient to wait until his mother finishes with work.

“My mom works at Prairie Ridge, and so instead of having to deal with parking here every morning, my mom drops me off,” Robertson said. “I then just walk over after school and get a ride since it’s so close.”

As time passes for Robertson in C hallway, he and his friends partake in ordinary teenage activities, including daily chitchat and playing new games.

“We talk about what happened during the day and all sorts of random topics that we branch off to,” Robertson said. “Recently, we’ve been playing this game called Pig Stool. It’s like a trivia game where you’re given a picture and you have to say what the picture is or something that it’s associated with.”

The large expanse of space at the end of the hallway is perfect for Robertson and his friends, providing them with plenty of area to relax without anyone to really bother them.

“It’s a large space and not many people really go here; I’m kind of surprised,” Robertson said. “Occasionally, you’ll have some sports teams run down the stairs, but generally it’s pretty quiet and no one bothers you.”

However, interruptions do occur. During a day that Robertson stayed after school, the members of the Thespian Society needed to use the space outside of Copeland’s room in order to prepare for improvisational competitions.

“Probably the funniest thing right now that was really recent was when the Thespians came outside and they were really cool about us being there,” Robertson said. “They started playing this game called alphabet and let us watch, interject and review their performances.”

According to Robertson, people don’t really mind him and his friends using this area after school; however, when they first began to meet up after school in this location, teachers were skeptical of them unwinding there.

“Last year, when we first started hanging out down here, a few of the teachers were like, ‘What are you doing down here?’ and, ‘You can’t be here,’ but we sort of ignored it and kept showing up and they stopped caring,” Robertson said.

Teachers, such as Copeland, are not bothered by Robertson and his friends’ presence after school.  

“They’re really nice kids,” Copeland said. “I say hi to them, they say hi to me. Sometimes we say hello instead of hi, I guess it depends on the mood.”

According to Copeland, Robertson and many of his friends have taken Drama and been in musical and play performances. Having been acquainted with Robertson and his friends, Copeland attempts to make conversation with the group.

“I call them the breakfast club because they’re here every morning when I come in,” Copeland said. “I still call them the breakfast club after school, but I guess I could call them the afternoon snack club, but there’s no movie called the afternoon snack club so that would be kind of random.”

For Robertson, having the opportunity to converse with all of these teachers and staff only adds to the benefits of staying after in C hallway.

“I mean, hanging out down here, we get to see Rhonda the janitor every day, and so many teachers that we personally know come by and say hi,” Robertson said.

With all of these interactions and experiences with friends, staying after school in C hallway has become an enjoyable task and not purely a chore for Robertson.

“Staying after school has become a lot better now that I actually have stuff that I’m going to do,” Robertson said. “I’ve found ways to occupy my time, and it’s a lot more fun now, and I enjoy it instead of it being a hassle.”