One of the many graduation requirements within Omaha Public Schools is four total semesters of physical education. If someone does not want to complete those requirements in the building, they can opt for summer P.E., which takes place in the month of June. Another option is joining marching band or JROTC, which count as credits, or waiving the P.E. requirements through a varsity sport. The only stipulation with waving P.E. through a varsity sport is that students are not allowed to have a study hall or early out at any time during the four years at Cental.  

Many students, however, are not informed of this stipulation when signing up for classes in eighth grade, myself being one of them. I had signed up for a study hall my freshman year because I was not entirely sure how I would adjust to the high school load. I then decided to fill my schedule with as many classes as possible in my sophomore year, leaving me going into junior year with no P.E. credits.  

This caused a problem, because at that point I was a varsity athlete who had lettered four times and was in excellent academic standing but was not allowed to waive P.E. because of an uninformed decision I made prior to my freshman year.  

I either had to take summer P.E. and a P.E. class my junior year or take P.E. both my junior and senior year.  I did not want to do this because it would jeopardize my chances at an early out, something that I have worked for since freshman year.  

I chose the first option, taking summer P.E the summer before my junior year and am now in a P.E. class finishing out those credits. 

All of this could have been avoided.  

 As an athlete who has lettered five times, holds a high-grade point average and is taking a schedule of classes that are 90% AP and honors, it is frustrating to be deemed not academically involved or oriented. 

I propose new waiving requirements that would allow student athletes to waive their physical education if they are a varsity athlete who had completed the requirements their sport provides and has a grade point average above 3.5. This proves that the student is focused and determined in the classroom, getting their work done and striving for success, but is also working hard in their designated sport.  

 Athletic practices at Central are usually around two hours long, all of which are going through some sort of physical activity every day. Not only is that 30 minutes longer than P.E. classes, but it is also every day, compared to the two or three days a week P.E. classes meet. This is an estimated 10 hours a week compared to the three or four and a half hours P.E. classes take place.  

This doesn’t factor in the time that Central athletics take part in games or competitions, which usually happen on top of the daily practice times and take up longer periods of time. For example, girls and boys swimming who lift in the morning three days a week, practice every day after school for two hours in the pool, and compete on the weekends taking at least half of the day on Saturday every weekend.  

I believe that students should not be put down for taking a study hall because they are choosing to manage a heavy course load on top of their sport and typical high school life. Students should also be allowed an academic reward come their senior year if they have completed all their credits and are eligible for an early out.  Since study halls do not count as any credits they should not take away from that academic reward.  

I am not the only person who has dealt with this issue. Many in my friend group also took study halls their freshman year and are experiencing the same things. A former teammate of mine who was highly involved in high school experienced this as well. Someone in each graduating class experiences this and at some point, a change needs to be made in order for student athletes to make the most of their high school experiences.