On Jan 8, students and staff of MSHS returned to newly painted, lighted and carpeted hallways due to administration desiring these renovations. 

Brian Brown, a longtime social studies teacher at MSHS, feels that the changes will feel more comfortable over time. “It seems cleaner right now, because the tile was old and a little dingy so I think like any change that you face, you always have that first shock and then you start settling in,” Brown said.

Brown is sad about the senior photos being taken down, but is grateful that administration wishes to display them in a new way later on. “I always enjoyed walking through and looking at the photos,” Brown said. “And as long as we honor that, bring it back in some way, whether it is our students presently or it’s people who are coming back, they have access to it and they can have those flashback memories, then I’m ok with it.”

Brown also feels that the renovations that were made do not directly advertise the opportunities MSHS can provide to future students. “I think it is, in the administration’s minds, going to be a step to giving a better impression of our building,” Brown said. “But when it comes down to it, we have to sell the nuts and bolts of what we do.”

He wishes for students and staff to be more included in these decisions in the future. “If you’re saying this is a school, that is not just for students and prospective students, but it’s also for our staff,” Brown said. “Then you have to include them in these decisions.”

He has sympathy for the administration, in that they must make the difficult decision of what teachers are allowed to request, and what takes priority. “The poor list goes on and on and on for our administration,” Brown said. “Maybe the first step is what do the teachers need individually in their classroom to make them successful and give their students a better product, and then can we do it?”

Paola Valladares, a Spanish teacher at MSHS, believes the carpet is unsanitary. “I don’t really understand the concept of carpet because things get spilled and it’s just gonna be more dirty,” Valladares said. “I understand that they wanted to make it prettier, but in my opinion, there should have been another way.”

Valladares also feels that we have lost a part of MSHS traditions by taking down the senior class photos. “I don’t like that they took down the photos because that was part of our traditions and part of who we are and made it feel like we’re trying to imitate other schools,” Valladares said. “But that’s what makes us unique.”

Students such as Sierra Dunlap feel that the attempt for a cleaner look was well executed, but the class photos represented a big part of MSHS history. “I feel like it’s definitely an improvement, it’s brighter and I think the carpet does look nice and looks cleaner,” Dunlap said. “But I do miss the pictures in the hallways, I feel like those represented a lot of history, and now the hallways feel a little bit bare and it feels a little more sterile.”

Brown hopes that later decisions made in the district will support current students and staff further. “It’s not just prospective students and worry about attracting them,” Brown said. “It’s worrying about what’s doing right for our students here and for our staff.”