How do Freshmen feel about the New Higgins?
The new Higgins middle school is a state-of-the-art learning institute, there's no doubt about that. Not that there would be any room for doubt, since it’s been said over and over again… Compared to the school that last year's eighth grade students attended, this new building is insanely modern; both in looks and content. From the wide, spacious lockers and gleaming basketball court to the expansive cafeteria and varied cuisine it offers, anyone can agree that it's quite a privilege to attend a school as advanced as this. With that being said, the opinion of one specific group of students has yet to be heard. The class of 2020, current freshmen, dealt with the infamous horrors of the previous building for the whole of their middle school careers and left the year before the new school was opened. When asked the question, 'How do you feel about having left the Higgins just before it got renovated?,’ most responded with similar answers:
"I don't really mind because at least they're upgrading" - Anonymous
"So I went to the Old Higgins for three years and knew that I wouldn't be a student at the new building. Sure, it was a bit annoying, but there was nothing I could really do about it … I'm pretty happy that I went to the old school. A lot of my favorite teachers got laid off/ left, and the way they run things at the new school is just... weird. So yeah, I may not have gotten to go to school in a new building, but I liked the old school..." - Rebecca Truong
"I feel sad that I didn't get to go to the new Higgins but I'm really happy that I'm up at the high school because I really like it there. It's also a good thing I didn't go to the new Higgins because if I was a year behind I'd have to learn the big and complicated school for just one year. So overall I'm ok with not going to the new Higgins" - Caitlyn Bettencourt.
"I feel upset because we didn't get the new [building]"- Fadima Kaba.
"Well, I'm neutral because I'm mad that I had to go through 3 years of an ugly school and then right when we end up graduating the new school opens up, and, we didn't even get to see it at all ... on the other hand, I'm really happy that I finally get to go to high school and get out of middle school" - Stephen Carter.
"Eh, I mean I would like to have a brand new building that wasn't falling apart and a smoothie machine and whatnot, but I enjoyed my time at the old Higgins. I also think it would've been hard to transition from the structure of the old building to the new one." - Samantha Truong.
According to the students, while the old building had some major problems, it still held sentimental value to them. Now that their time in middle school is over, no one wants to dwell on what could have happened, but hold on to the memories they made there. Additionally, since the set ups of the former and current building differ considerably, it wouldn’t have been worth it to have to adjust for a year and then move on to the high school. It would have been interesting to have all the new materials, but thankfully, no one seems too upset over this, besides a select few.
Overall, there seems to be a neutral feeling towards this development among the students surveyed. It's clear that they're ready to move on, and have accepted that while they're not able to experience the new building, high school is sure to be better than middle school could ever be. Of course, there are plenty of students with differing opinions, but if anything, the Chromebooks that the freshman class recently received are sure to be a worthy consolation prize. Maybe looking forward, we could see some advancements in the high school as well, hopefully starting with the wifi...