By: Caitlyn Turner

New school year! Yay? The school year is officially in full swing and the struggles due to construction are getting easier every day. Freshmen naturally deal with the huge transition from middle to high school, and many Senator freshmen said they enjoy their classes and have made many new friends. Springfield High School has a stronger sense of community and unity than any school in Illinois, which is why the construction is being handled very well, such as the addition of mobile classrooms and additional dust and noise. 

One freshman, Bennett Nelson, stood out because he was very excited and positive about the new school year. He said “It’s fun because I get to go outside and get some fresh air,” which is a good attitude about the mobiles. This opinion is not an unpopular one because another freshman, Abigail Malit, said it took some getting used to, but now going out to the mobiles is not all that bad and it allows students to see their friends in between classes. 

The construction does not only affect students, though, as teachers experienced many changes as well. Some teachers were moved to different classrooms in the building and others, specifically in the math department, had a significant change of being relocated to the mobiles. Even with all these changes, teachers approach their new environment with positivity and acceptance. 

The school’s performing arts participants are also affected by the construction. Amelie Janssen, a sophomore, is participating in the fall play which will be held in the commons rather than the auditorium this year. This hosts a plethora of issues, such as the complications of having lighting and sound. The comfort level of the audience is going to be sacrificed because they will be seated in hard plastic chairs instead of padded auditorium ones. Another concern is the aesthetics of the play. There might not be a curtain so the audience will be able to see people coming and going from “backstage.” One more challenge is that there is not a viable rehearsal space for the actors in the fall production, but they are doing their best with the spaces provided.

As the renovations are ongoing, the spring musical will also be affected. The spring musical will be held at The Legacy Theatre, located on West Lawrence Avenue near downtown Springfield. A challenge with having a different venue is that most underclassmen in the musical do not have their licenses and have never been to or even heard of The Legacy. 

There are many issues to consider when thinking about the construction of Springfield High School, but many students are problem solvers and have a positive outlook on the rest of the school year. While the construction is scheduled to last for three years, the students and staff at Springfield High will continue to adapt to their “new normal” – because nothing can hold down the Solons!