School Troubles

With just a few weeks under Northwest High School’s belt, students have already discovered several problems that have arisen, ranging from traffic to the sound of the dismissal bell. As suspected, things at Northwest High School wouldn’t run smoothly in the first weeks. Many students have pointed out the various flaws that have already been dented at the start of the 2021-2022 school year.

After-school traffic appears as a hot topic for many student drivers. With only one road that leads out of the school, students can find themselves sitting in traffic for upwards of 30 minutes. The narrow two-lane road often gets backed up on Sunrise Drive and beyond. Some students opt to sit and wait in their car for the traffic to die out, while others try to book it out of the parking lot as fast as possible. “Traffic is a [big] problem…I’ve gotten trapped on Hickman,” stated junior Amanda Marchese.

Students have also commented on the “office-like” feel of the building. With few posters donning the walls and the unfamiliar environment, many students miss the sense of community and the “homey” feeling that the old school brought. The spacious building starts to feel empty and almost eerie. Classrooms feel more like office buildings as teachers are just now beginning to decorate their classrooms.

Terrible Wi-Fi and cellular service is another thing on several minds. Within just the first weeks, there have been several Wi-Fi outages that have halted classwork. Many students get hit with the “message failed to send” notification during the day when they attempt to send a text. “No matter where you are, [reception] is always going to be spotty,” senior George Willenborg pointed out.  

Many students have pointed out the headache-inducing sound of the dismissal and intercom bell, which sounds nothing like your average dismissal bell. The loud monotonous sound leaves students cringing as they stroll out of their classrooms. Many have commented how they miss the ring of the old bell. “The first week, everyone was so confused at the bell sound,” shared Marchese. “The bell scares me every time. It’s too loud,” laughed senior Cody Hall.

As Northwest High School begins to develop more as a community and a school building, various problems and dilemmas will be sorted out, but as of now, the predicaments within the school are as apparent as they will ever be.