By Dylan Mitchell, Editor-in-Chief
Let’s all be honest. When March Madness rolls around and our brackets finally lock, our minds are no longer on school or work. We all are focused on who will be this season’s Cinderella story, and constantly spend time watching to see how long our brackets remain perfect.
For over fourteen hours, games are continually being played, and many students lose focus on everything else while keeping their eyes glued to the television. The craziness of the first weekend only comes once a year, and for many students, it is far more important than paying attention for one of the 180 days of school they are required to attend.
With students so focused on the games rather than schoolwork, does it really make sense for them to be in school? Physically, they may be there, but many havementally checked out. Little is accomplished on these days, and it truly becomes not only a waste of time for students, but also teachers.
Even though it was already possible for fans to keep track of every game with apps such as ESPN or Sportscenter, nowadays, it’s even easier for students to watch games live rather than pay attention to the work they are supposed to be doing because of the CBS March Madness Live app. This technology broadcasts every game of the NCAA Tournament. Before this app arrived, students still found ways to pay attention to the games, but now there is no way to keep them from watching the sport they love.
With other apps making it possible for students to check how well their brackets are doing in real time, there’s simply no way to keep them off their phones. We all want to immediately know how well we are doing in our pools, and it’s virtually impossible to not check. With many having more than a rooting interest, the desire to keep track becomes overwhelming.
It’s not right for students and teachers to go to school when students do not give teachers the respect they deserve, and teachers are unable to teach due to students being focused on basketball. Neither party gets anything out of the Thursday and Friday of the first weekend, and it’s unwise to make either of them attend on these days.
Just cancelling school for two days in March may seem kind of hard, but those who make the schedule for the county could for sure find a way to work it out. To make the lives of both students and teachers easier, they must find a way to have no school for the two days where history is often made.