Gianna Trala ‘23
When students returned to in-person school this January, they were met with a few changes to the school environment since last being in-person in November: a switch of lounges, a change in cafeteria arrangements, and a new method of orchestrating Domino block. Members of the community have expressed mixed feelings about each of these changes.
Lounge Locations:
One of the most talked-about issues among students is the switches of lounge spaces. Seniors moved from the theater to the library and the juniors from the library to the theater. Sophomores moved from the wrestling room to the Chapel and the freshmen from the Chapel to the wrestling room. Head of Upper School, Mike Letts, says that the reason behind the lounge switches was to increase equity. He admits, “Some lounges are more comfortable or better for work.”
Photo courtesy of Ashley Kennedy.
Many students appreciate the change. Letts says, “The freshmen got the best end of the deal when they switched from the Chapel to the wrestling room, which has desks and an optimal location near the Field House for lunch.” Letts notes, “The ninth grade is still trying to adjust to everything. They didn’t get a normal start to high school, and they needed more structure.” Michelle Jiang ‘24 shares, “I like the new lounge [in the wrestling room] because it’s easier to get homework done. I really like having a desk.” Many seniors also agree with the advantages to switching spaces. Riley Pujadas ‘21 says, “I love that we have the library now. It’s a lot easier to get work done there than in the theater.”
Conversely, there are also students who dislike the lounge switch. Paula Rudnick ‘23 says, “I prefer our old lounge because the desks in the wrestling room made it easier to do work, and in the Chapel there’s not much space to do that.” Additionally, Berkely Sando ‘22 asserts, “I much prefer my old lounge, the library, because there are only 8-10 desks in the theater, and it’s very hard to work in one of the theater chairs.”
Lunch Configurations:
The tables in the lunchrooms also changed when students returned to campus in January. During the fall semester, students sat at four-person, circular tables that had two panes of plexi-glass that crossed in the middle to create four separate sections. Now, students sit at five-foot-long, rectangular tables with two people at each table separated by a single pane of plexi-glass in the middle. Letts says, “The seating arrangements were changed because of Pennsylvania state regulations and guidelines. As the amount of cases spiked, officials changed how many people could be together in certain spaces.”
Students generally disagree with the seating arrangement change. Sando shares, “I don’t like the new lunch tables. I feel like everyone in the cafeteria has to scream to talk to the person on the other side.” Rudnick also comments, “I feel like I am more exposed to people. I just feel like it’s harder to interact with people safely.” Winston Tang ‘24 agrees with Rudnick’s sentiment: “I just don’t think it’s safer this way. I preferred the tables before [the change].”
Domino Situation:
The school also changed where students stay during Domino block: they must remain in their last period class, unless they are on the first floor, excused to leave campus, or are attending a club meeting. The administration made this decision because there were concerns about the whereabouts of students at the end of day, with the cold weather making going outside a nonviable option. Letts reached the conclusion that when students remained in their last period classes during Spirit Week in the first semester, they were easier to manage as they were in “dispersed, smaller pockets.” He also acknowledges, “I know it’s hard to be safe and distanced. It just got a little crazy [last semester]. But students have done a very good job [following the rules].”
Students met this change with varied reviews. Sando preferred the old Domino system, saying “I don’t like having to stay in my classroom during Domino. I wish we could go to our lounges or at least the library and field house like last semester.” On the other hand, Rudnick remarks, “I think the new Domino is better and doesn’t really affect me that much. I prefer this situation because it’s less moving back and forth.”
Looking forward, Letts admits that the Domino block situation is uncertain. He comments, “Our school will adjust based on future guidelines. We just want to provide [the students] with as normal of an experience as we can.” Sando would like to be able to go out on the campus green during Domino when the weather is warmer. She says, “We should be allowed to go outside when it’s warm [again]. I see no reason why we should lose that ability when the circles are 8 feet apart.” Jiang agrees: “I definitely like going outside in the fresh air, but right now it’s too cold for that. I hope in the spring we’ll be able to be outside more.”