WHAT UPSETS STUDENTS AT GHS?

From new and improved furnishing, a plethora of course selections, to the lively school spirit, Greenwich High School has been proven to be a neat institution, standing out from other schools in many ways.

What bothers students the most about their experience at GHS? How can such an overachieving highschool still elicit complaints from its students and staff?

The school’s beloved muffins made a fashionable reentrance back into the Cardinal Cafe, so do student concerns about the chaotic lunch block leave our mind? With the finalized construction of the front entrance, the walkway is more breathtaking than ever before, yet students find themselves irritably shoving past hoards of teens just to make it to class barely on time. Furthermore, students crumble under the pressure of tight agendas, stress, and mandatory multi-tasking in said classes. This chaos is only a precursor for the mere thirty minutes that they receive to buy their lunch. 

“People don’t clean up after themselves,” says a GHS senior, Georgi, as his peers nod in agreement. “The tables are always messy.” The unsightly wreckage that is dirty napkins, opened ketchup packets, and half-eaten sandwiches are the last thing students need in their sight  as they eat their lunches. 

Putting aside the sloppiness of the students themselves, there is a reason for these half-eaten sandwiches. Students rush out of their classes as the lunch bell rings to try to find a spot in the lunch line.  At times, students spend over 10 minutes in line, proceeding to spend another few minutes searching for a seat, then finally sit down to eat their food. If students spend their time socializing, they barely have enough time to eat. 

“Over 30 minutes of lunch would be good. It all feels very intense right now,” a GHS teacher who prefers to stay anonymous says as she overlooks the Student Center crowd. 

As the lunch block comes to an end, students scramble around, gathering their things to head back to class. Some students must go back to the science wing, and the journey down the glass corridor is yet another warzone. “Some students are so inconsiderate of other people. They play-fight, push their friends and walk slowly. They crowd the corridor and we can’t get past them,” said a GHS senior, Luana. There have been numerous complaints about the havoc wreaked within the glass corridor by multiple grade levels. When so many people are in a hurry to return to class, why is it that some deem it appropriate to hold up traffic with their shenanigans? 

After a tiring trip, students make it back to class. As they take their seats, another bother strikes. “The teachers seem to care more about their own agenda than about us,” a GHS senior sighs, seemingly exasperated. “We have college application stuff but teachers are assigning a lot. I have 2 essays due this week and my teacher is being inconsiderate.” Students are overwhelmed by excessive assignments and feel that they do not have a say in the matter.  

Although there is this buildup of stress among the students, they are not alone in this notion. Teachers also endure the strain of the school's circumstances. 

“There’s a lack of tax support for funding the public schools,” a GHS teacher says, crossing his arms. “A lack of funding and a lack of staffing. There’s not enough subs, special education teachers, or even custodians. There were many teacher cuts last year. We’ve lost 11 teachers in the past two years. Not enough teachers means bigger classes. We are forced to do more with less.” 

Teachers are being forced to take on the load of more students as a result of the loss of staff. Educators who have been perpetually passionate and outstanding in their line of work are under the pressure of a lack of support. They are persevering thus far, but are they nearing their breaking point?

 “The schedule is so tight, and kids don’t get a chance to just take a breather. As a teacher, I feel like I need to use every second I have. I am forced to project onto the kids,” a teacher explains. We then come to the conclusion that the teachers are not completely at fault for the academic labor that the students endure.

Our school’s community, staff and students alike, must support one another in order to have another productive year at GHS. It is important to appreciate our peers, educators, and our school environment in order to lift everyone’s spirits.