retrospective
Wednesday, June 5, 2013
Newton North, Newtonite ◆ 11
Seniors reflect on move to new building
Leah Budson
A greener tomorrow: Seniors Vanessa Pojidaev and Annie Brown work on creating a biosphere for growing vegetables and other plants as part of the green campus movement. by Jacob Gurvis, Nicky Kaufman,
Maxwell Kozlov In 2009, a group of some 400 freshmen entered the old Newton North building. Probably somewhat short, somewhat awkward, and somewhat bracefaced, they began their high school journey. Just as they began to settle in, this group was uprooted and moved into the new building as sophomores. Inside and out, the new building seemed like the ideal space to learn and work––its windows, its new facilities, and its openness all seemed to create a perfectly welcoming place. Through their four years, they have risen to the challenge of making this space their own, giving us all a glimpse into this and
new building’s potential. However, some disagreed. While the new building creates more opportunities for teaching and learning, some seniors still feel sentimental about the the old building. After just one year, the building left a lasting impression on the new students, making the Class of 2013’s freshman year a memorable one. Senior Mike Safran, class president, said, “For us, it was weird to move to a new building. We had just gotten to a new school, coming from middle school to high school, and after one year, we had to move again.” Students were not the only ones affected by the move. Some teachers also said they
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Some things stay the same: Workers transport one of this school’s core value posters to the new building.
felt that it brought a cultural shift. History teacher Ty Vignone said, “It’s quieter here. Kids spend less time congregating together. We’ve lost places like Main Street and the little nooks and crannies of the old school where kids could hang out. We’ve really lost that sense of community.” Even with all the nostalgia surrounding the move, there are certainly positives that outweigh this sense of loss. Compared to the old building, where there was just a building and a sports field, this new building provides students with the opportunity to be social, according to principal Jennifer Price. Senior Ari Gilman said he likes the new spaces and that he thinks it has added to the social aspect of school. “It feels more open and free, and I think this has made many students happy and more compelled to spend free time at or around the school,” he said. The campus feeling is a positive addition to the new building, according to senior Gilad Seckler. “I think the natural lighting is huge for just general well-being and happiness of the student body,” he said. Senior Isabella Rao said she feels the difference that the added light has made in this building and that the windows add to the school’s atmosphere. “The school is definitely a lot more open. It’s nice to see sun, rain, and snow, whereas in the other building I almost never knew what the weather was outside. “It’s also nice to look out and see students on the grass or the turf. Oddly, it’s made these last three years seem like less of a chore, just by having more light and windows in the school,” she said. From responses in a survey given to the senior class, many said they believe that the cleanliness, the many windows, and the view are the best parts of the new building. Safran also said he likes the added light, saying that the new building is “beautiful inside and
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Caution: On the way to class, students must maneuver around flooding from a leak in the old building. out, with the entrance making the school look more open and friendly.” Price said she thinks that the sunlight throughout the building is beneficial to students and teachers. With added windows and outdoor spaces that let light into the building, Price said that the new building “feels more like a campus.” While some think that the feeling of community has been lost due to the move, work is being done to re-establish it within the walls of the new building. The growing number of murals decorating the school’s walls add to the beauty of the building. Price said she wants “color on the walls,” and is very happy with the new murals. “I made a decision to paint the walls of the school white. I wanted to create a blank canvas for decades of students to put their mark on our school. I love the murals,” she said. According to Safran, many students were initially displeased with the new school’s lack of color, but eventually warmed up to the idea. “When we first walked in with all the white walls, the common description was that this school looked like a hospital, because in the old building it was like a museum with all of the murals,” said Safran. “Now, we are starting a tradition to make the building become what it was at the old school.” Price said the plan is to have 10 to 15 new murals added each year, in addition to painting classrooms. This May, many parent volunteers came in on weekends and painted about 20 classrooms. With the new school, there also came new amenitites, including the Innovation Lab and a collection of clubs and courses that have come into full-swing. “The idea is to be able to teach students to creatively tackle a problem with real world application,” said Price.
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The Innovation Lab received a visit from governor Deval Patrick last year, when mayor Setti Warren hosted the annual Massachusetts Mayor’s Association luncheon in the Tiger’s Loft. In a previous interview, Patrick said the Innovation Lab is “exciting to see. Not just for the students themselves, but for the future of the Commonwealth.” Price stressed the importance of learning to innovate and preparing for the future of technology. “We don’t know the jobs you’ll have in the future,” she said. “There’s even a big chance that your future job hasn’t been created yet.” The idea, said Price, is to “not only teach what we know, but also how to be prepared for what we don’t know.” Along with the move to the new building came a new, remodeled space for the Tiger’s Loft. The Tiger’s Loft opened in the new building, but was then closed the following year due to a dispute with the food service provider at this school, Whitsons. The dispute was quickly resolved, and the Tiger’s Loft reopened after three months. Additionally, the Tiger’s Loft started using a new online ordering system through Google Drive early last year. Safran said that in the old building the Tiger’s Loft was located on the fourth floor, tucked away in the corner. Now, located on the first floor, it is easier to access. He said that he thinks the location makes more sense in the new building. Displaced after just one year in the old building, the Class of 2013 has been given more opportunities to learn, innovate, create, and leave their mark on this school. Although different from the old building, the new school has started to take on on a unique, distinct character, due in part to graduating seniors’ efforts to make this new building feel more like home.