In an effort to prevent Preuss basketball and soccer players from leaving school during block eight unexcused, the Preuss administration opted to take away block eight privileges from the Preuss basketball and soccer team this school year. As the winter sports season comes to a start, this change has taken a toll on these athletes. 

Games are typically held after school or during school hours, which often requires students to leave class earlier in the day, sometimes during advisory, which is during block seven, or during block eight. Block eight was  created for students with a sport to avoid missing academic classes. Now that athletes no longer have this privilege, athletes are missing their blocks eight and four classes to attend games.

Richard Yiv (‘28), a player on the Boys Varsity Soccer team, had block eight last year, which allowed him to practice and prepare for the season during school. Now, his team practices outside of school, along with the other winter sports teams.

“I’ve been making sure to talk to my Spanish teacher ahead of time, which has been helping me stay up to date,” said Yiv (‘28). Some of Yiv’s classmates play for the basketball team who also help him keep up with the work by explaining it to him when he’s gone and he does the same as well when they have a game.

However, not all students with block eight class have this advantage. 

“Missing class has been hard lately since we have only a few days left to finish our paintings and there really is no way to do work on it outside of class,” explained Rayan Dahir (‘27). Dahir is the girls’ basketball team manager and has an art class during block eight. 

“As of now, I’m not sure if there will be a block eight next year, after the recurring misuse of the class last year” said Mr. Mike, one of the school’s campus supervisors.

Athletes hope that this policy will change next year, with a compromise that will keep students on campus and allows students to attend games without falling behind in class.