Same school district, new building. How are juniors adjusting to the world of NASH?
“I think I’m adjusting fine,” Ruby Beighly said. “The floors make everything kind of difficult, and I haven’t gotten used to the timing of getting to class before the bell rings yet. But other than that, I think I’m fine.”
Beighly is not alone among NASH juniors.
“NAI was a much more difficult adjustment compared to NASH. I am adjusting to NASH pretty well,” Alayna Donnell said.
For Alicia Gasana, the transition to NASH has been especially rewarding.
“The adjustment was more the difference academically and freedom-wise. You’re treated like the young adult you’re growing to be,” she said.
For Kyle Byrne, the adjustments came fast.
“I adjusted pretty quickly to the layout of the classrooms and where everything was,” he stated.
For other juniors, however, NASH has presented challenges during the first couple of months.
“NASH has its difficulties, but overall it has been a fun experience being in a new building,” Laura Wells said.
Hannah Patterson found NASH to be nerve-wracking at first.
“Before coming into the building, I was anxious about being able to get to class on time. However, I’ve found it extremely easy to have routes that work efficiently and effectively,” she said.
As the first quarter has progressed, many juniors found that they grew to genuinely like NASH.
“I like how NASH gives you the opportunity to have more freedom and more selection of classes, instead of just a specific path for everyone. Now, we get to have what science we want to take. There are multiple classes specific to what we want to do,” Alexis Solomon said.
Some, like Donnell, are enjoying their class sizes here.
“One thing I like about NASH is that most of my classes are smaller in size,” she stated.
Juniors routinely highlight the freedoms that NASH gives them.
“One thing that I love about NASH is that they treat us more like adults and let us take more responsibility,” Patterson said.
Byrne is in favor of the layout of the building.
“I like how most of the [academic] classrooms are on just the second and third floor and the first floor is left for the gym, cafeteria, and arts classes,” he said.
Many agree with Byrne.
“I like that it’s much bigger, and that there are more activities you can do. I also like that the football stadium is close by on campus,” Beighly said.
But like juniors from previous years, the Class of 2026 is finding some aspects of NASH to be irritating.
“My complaint is definitely the stairs. They are always overcrowded,” Donnell said.
Along with the many staircases, juniors commonly voice complaints about the lack of windows.
“Some of my classes feel like a confined space,” Patterson said. “I recognize that there’s nothing they can do about it, and the teachers do a really good job at making it seem spacious,” she stated.
Another issue expressed by some juniors is the bell schedule.
“I wish there was more time to get to class,” Beighly said. “I wish the bell schedule were a little less strict because you sometimes have to go from the third floor to the gym locker room. There’s really not a lot of time.”
From finding their classrooms to climbing up mountains of stairs, juniors seem to be adjusting to NASH pretty well. Preparing for the future at NASH is getting easier by the day for these juniors, and they are ready for the challenges to come.
