I constantly hear students say, “Why can’t they just fix ___?” While our campus is full of beautiful buildings and greenery, having a two-hundred-eighty-five-acre campus means that we are bound to have places with issues.
Some places are broken, some are unappealing, and others are just out of date. There are many spots on campus in need of an upgrade, and it is important that we change these places to best fit the needs of the students.
Most students feel very passionately about what places need to be updated. Sophomore Peyton Cabanillas feels strongly that the freshman hallway and sophomore bubble need to be fixed.
“It's so old and dirty, and there are always bugs,” Peyton said.
While this may be harsh, it is apparent. This is one of Hackley students’ biggest gripes. While there have been minor improvements over the last few years, such as the addition of the lounge and dean's office, there are still many problems with the space. For years, students have walked through the cobwebs, stepped over bugs, and hit their heads on the exposed pipes in the ceiling. While recent renovations, such as the new lounge and dean's office, have provided a long-needed refresh, the bulk of the issue remains unresolved.
Another part of campus that is often complained about is Benedict Avenue and the main entrance. Sophomore Reed Lisiak said that because of the way the entrance is set up, there is a lot of traffic in the mornings. Before school starts, there is usually a line going down Benedict, which starts around 7:45 a.m. It can take around 10 minutes, maybe more, to get into Hackley. While he understands it might be difficult, he is still adamant that another right lane be added at the entrance. Reed thinks that by doing this, we could alleviate wait times in the morning.
As a commuter from the city, I feel like I spend a quarter of my drive inching forward on Benedict. The line on Benedict has been an issue for a long time. In a previous Dial article, students were interviewed regarding this very issue. In the article, everyone agreed: Benedict Avenue seriously altered the Hackley community's way of life. One student said that arriving at 7:45 a.m., he would be able to miss the traffic, but by 7:50 a.m., he would run the risk of being late to school, which would result in a lunch detention.
Meanwhile, Community Council Secretary-Treasurer and Junior, Gabe Fossner, has concerns about the number of bathrooms in the high school, saying that there aren’t enough bathrooms.
I’ve noticed this too. For example, when I’m in Mr. Driver’s Latin class, finding a restroom can feel like a trek. I can either go to the library or the Advancement hallway, both of which are far away. Then, if one of them is busy or dirty, it takes even more time to find an available nearby restroom. This all takes away from precious class time, often taking more than five minutes (almost 10% of class duration) to even find a restroom.
Meanwhile, freshman Rita Muriithi has noticed issues with temperature regulation in the high school.
Rita said, “It’s always hot in the language and English hallways.”
This seems to be a common experience. Many of the classrooms lack an air conditioner, leading to uncomfortable levels of heat. It feels as though this would be an easy fix – one which would significantly improve the quality of students’ studies. Rita is not the only student complaining about this; Reed and sophomores Jayden Nandi and Tian Cheng Wu think so, too.
As Hackley administrators look to form a more concrete timetable for campus planning, hearing from the student body is an essential way to gauge what changes are truly important.
