In the new 2023-2024 school year, many big changes have been made, one of which being the transition back to pencil and paper hall passes, rather than the virtual e-hallpass. Students and teachers alike are trying to figure out what the better option is, and many good arguments have been made for both sides. On one hand, the paper and pencil method is one that teachers had been using for years up until the switch, but, on the other hand, most students and teachers have gotten used to using e-hallpass in recent years.

Many people who argue that the physical hallpasses are the superior option seem to agree that it is easier to keep track of students and hold them accountable for signing themselves out and back in on time. Most students also say that the bathroom limit on e-hallpass is highly inconvenient and irritating and agree that it is much simpler to write down your name and leave. Another argument is that e-hallpass was interruptive to classes and would shorten learning time when a teacher had to stop teaching in order to start a pass. Further, teachers would sometimes forget to end passes and it would cause problems in the app and with starting new passes, which would lead to new issues for students and teachers alike.

However, people who prefer e-hallpass have argued that it was much easier, as it was not necessary to write down the time, and most teachers had the auto-pass function on, so it would cause less of a distraction during class. The biggest issue with physical hallpasses is that students are unsure of the cleanliness of the hallpasses. Many students are adamant that e-hallpass is the better option. One student, Addison Hughes (10), even went so far as to say, “E-hallpass is a crucial part to making the school day run smoothly.”

With such strong arguments on both sides, it is hard to tell which is truly the better choice, and the question remains, Did e-hallpass have to go?