How do teachers that are located all throughout Hamilton feel about the recent shake-up in their daily surroundings?
From dates that lead all the way back to October, Hamilton has been going under demolition of previous buildings that have been standing for decades. With this come the obvious noise, shakes, and bangs that come with having a construction site near still-operating classrooms. We interviewed some Hami students around campus as well as some teachers to get a glimpse at how this construction has been affecting not just them, but also their experiences learning and/or working at Hami.
We decided to get the students’ input first since they’re the ones who are attending and doing their work knowingly as well as having to live with the outcomes of learning near a construction site. Timani Tyson, an 11th grader in CAA, has this to say about attending a school that’s avidly under construction. “A lot of the time, it interrupts my studying, and if anything, it’s made me hyper aware of my surroundings—mainly of how I should accommodate myself to feel focused while learning.” Another student, Danny Iraheta, an 11th grader in SAS, also gave us insight on how this issue has affected his learning. “Sometimes noises can be heard in the basement, like drilling and stuff, and it takes me out of focus. So even though that can be a bother, I’ve been trying to look at the positive outcome that this construction will have on future students.”
Of course, we also wanted to hear from our teachers about how this sudden change in atmosphere has affected their teachings and routines. Mr. Garcia, an SAS teacher, gave us a glimpse into how it feels teaching in a building right next to the construction site (lab building) and the positive outlook he has on this whole situation. “It’s not the ideal situation—it’s taken space away from students, and that’s been my biggest issue, but I’m looking forward to seeing what the new campus looks like.”
Another SAS teacher, Mr. Judson, gave us his input on how this construction has not only caused minor shifts in his teaching but also in his personal life before clocking in as a teacher. He tells us, “The construction can be pretty disruptive sometimes; I think for once I can say that I’m glad I’m in the basement because the sound is dampened most of the time, so it’s not too disruptive to me.” Judson later adds, “There are other things outside the classroom, though, like, I have to walk from a parking structure pretty far, which is a slight inconvenience in the morning.”
At Hamilton, most of our faculty and students share the same sentiments and opinions about the construction that’s actively going on. It’s collectively agreed that though it might feel a little odd, the sudden shifts happening on campus will be worth the outcome his whole ordeal caused.
