By OLIVIA SIMPSON

Students hurry from class to class carrying big loads of books in their backpacks, lunch boxes full of food, and an extra jacket. In each class there is the continuous struggle to focus on what the teacher is saying while not thinking about how hot or cold they are (which depends on the classroom).

When Mother Nature calls, students rush to the bathroom where they usually have the option of one to two working bathroom stalls. After students are done, they wash their hands with water only, and are then forced to air dry, since most of the time there is no soap and the hand dryers aren’t working. When the bell rings, they run outside and see the big, shiny sun that they didn’t even know came out that day due to the lack of windows in each room.

At the high school, there is little consensus about what should happen with the school. But a majority of students agree that the school is falling apart and that something needs to be changed.

A problem that a lot of students agree on is the temperature fluctuation from room to room throughout the school.

Downstairs in the physics lab, students shiver from the lack of heat as they try to listen to their teacher. Junior Naomi Akagha said during physics it’s so cold that it’s “hard to pay attention.”

Upstairs, everything becomes extremely hot. Josie Holt, a sophomore at the High School said that the Latin room at times feels like “a swamp.”

Temperature regulation isn’t the only problem with the air conditioning, it is also leaking, which has become a safety concern for the students. During the first week of school, Mr. Miller, a math teacher, was moved to a different room because the safety of his room and the adjacent bathrooms was questionable.

Mr. Miller’s class has yet to return to their room, and this scare has disrupted the students. Mike Ryan, a junior, said that if the school got fixed he “wouldn’t have to worry about getting crushed by” air conditioning vents.

This problem is also happening other places around the school. Leaks from the ceiling have caused the floor in the gym to erode, and over time it has been replaced on numerous occasions.

Windows are hard to come by at Mariemont High School

Healthy School Networks, Inc., a school policy reform organization based in Albany, New York, reported that a school in Fort Collins, Co., found a “7% improvement in test scores in those classrooms that used daylight and a 14% to 18% improvement for those students in the classroom with the largest window areas.”   

Windows are a key point to better learning, and Abby Black, a freshman, said that “windows make for happier learning.”

Another problem with the school is its safety. A school resource officer patrols the school, but if there ever were an extreme emergency, the school would have a problem. Within the history, English, and math pod, there are three unprotected, accessible doors, and sometimes they’re unlocked.

Having only one road to drive in and out of the school grounds also is a pain. Juniors and seniors typically have to wait 10 minutes to get off the school property. Holt said, “I’m going to be driving soon and I don’t want to sit through that.”

Still with all the problems the school has, not everyone believes there should be a new school.

Claire Soller, a sophomore, said, “I kinda like it, it has character.”

Nick Comer, also a sophomore, said, “We can have another few years at the school.”  

The students at the high school are anticipating the outcome once voters leave their booth on November 6. Some are praying that our school doesn’t fall apart before then. But most are going to have to trust in the adults to make the choice they think is most fitting.