The bell finally rings; two o’clock. You’ve been waiting all day, and it’s finally here. You’re free.
All levels of high school look forward to their senior year, and to the extra special treats that come with it. One such treat is the beloved “Common Room,” in which seniors are given a free period to leave school for an hour or come in an hour late. But why is it called “common room,” when there’s no room to be found?
The first bit of info about Common Room comes from the September 1988 issue of The Epistle where an article describes a new look for the room.
But wait. Room?
Since the dawn of its inception until sometime in the last two decades (not quite sure of the date), Common Room had been a physical place where seniors could go to rest or hang out. The article from ’88 details new movie posters, new carpet (the original one was 17 years old), new paint from over the summer, and new seating.
A senior at the time, Myles Criswell, said in the article, “Everything we were able to do ourselves, we did.” For instance, the class officers did the painting themselves, while also receiving donated love seats, posters, paint, and a carpet paid for by Mobile Rug and Shade.
At the time, the physical room was located across from what is now Mr. Kerns’ office, on the second floor of the Mann Building. The block was also rotated as it does now, so that there were 10 or 15 people in the room at a time. Later on (I don’t know the date), the room moved to where the old cafeteria used to be behind the science wing. At that location, the room held a TV, pool table that was also a foosball table, a ping pong table, couches, and some desks. On slow days, when there were only a few students in the room at a time, some would nap and miss their next class completely!
In the early 2000s, Epistle writers Chris Lomax and Emily Costarides wrote a joke article on the “perfect common room.” This perfect rendition of the lounge included reclining leather couches, Astroturf (why?), a pool table (which had been there at some point), and a home theatre system. Further in the article, the seniors stated that they wanted a gaming area and concession stand, complete with a high-tech snack machine, Coke machine, and even a mute waitress (um?). They even wanted their own music station, sound-proof walls, and security clearance that only allows seniors and pizza deliverers.
Although I never got a definite answer as to when the changes occurred, it is safe to assume that the change has happened at some point over the last two decades. The switch was drastic, from a physical place that was literally a “common room” to an off period. Either way, the bit of free time that seniors have is definitely a privilege and a great way to learn time management!
Editor’s Note: Credits to Mr. Kerns for sending me much of the details described here.
