This year, Northern Valley Demarest has undergone many major changes, from new paint to no Wi-Fi, and these changes have affected the whole school community. While some of these changes have been welcomed, others have mixed reactions from students and staff.
For starters, the cafeteria has reopened another lunch line to help reduce the large crowds.
“It is much faster now. I don’t feel like I’m wasting half my lunch period just waiting to get my food,” junior Mallory LaPira said.
The faster-paced lunch lines are benefiting students from all grades.
Junior Zara-Mia Wiley said, “It is nice not to all be together in one line because it makes the lines move faster.” Additionally, all lunch lines will soon take Apple Pay, making the lunch line more efficient and accessible.
The school has also installed many new TVs in classrooms and in some hallways. Some students see the benefits, but others are skeptical about how difficult they are to use and whether it is necessary to have so many of them.
“The new TVs are nice for showing videos and presentations, but sometimes it can take some time to set up or use for presentations,” LaPira said.
Outside of the classroom, students are concerned about the lack of working Wi-Fi. Wiley pointed out that this is more than just an inconvenience for students. Many students agreed that having Wi-Fi is important to have contact with people outside of the school in urgent situations.
“I would like to have working Wi-Fi because last year I had to call my mom a lot for emergencies or just letting her know about schedule changes,” Wiley said.
There have also been changes in administration: Susan Baez and Richard Scherer are both new assistant principals this school year. Additionally, Keith Johnson is now the principal of NVD.
Along with that, the media center is undergoing some new upgrades. The library is being organized into three study areas: a collaborative working space at the group tables, a partner study area at the two-person tables, and a quiet solo area where students can sit on the couches and comfortable chairs. This will hopefully create a helpful and effective study space for all students to use. Students will soon have access to a Lego/block building area and new board game challenges and competitions.
Librarian Sabina Albirt said, “The goal is for the media center to be an organized and helpful place to study…I hope to highlight the board games to students and add block building(Lego) games and competitions for students to participate in.”
Overall, these new changes will remain a topic of discussion among students and staff throughout the year and will hopefully have lasting positive impacts on the school community.
“I am excited for the upcoming school year with all of the new changes at NVD,” Zara Wiley said.
