As I walked into my first class on the first day of school this year, nothing seems out of the ordinary. The chairs were there and so were the tables. The carpet was still intact, which is great. It’s not until I looked closely that I realized the recent changes: a lusciously green quad outside and a new, funny blue clock on the wall.
It seems every year, Paly introduces changes to the classroom or campus. Don’t get me wrong, I’m in favor of many of them and find the updates to be proof of a school that cares. So, I wanted to give my takes on the more recent changes in the past year or two.
- Digital clocks
It’s been a while since these clocks arrived, but I still remember the time before digital clocks. I sat at a certain angle in World History to that timey-old clock, so it always looked five minutes behind. Now, though, I can gladly count the seconds down second by second: 3:29:58, 3:29:59 . . . until the wonderful sound of the bell.
I feel I’ve been pampered a bit much, because everytime I see regular clocks, it takes me a second to remember how to read it. Speaking of, I’ve been wondering if someday kids will even remember how to use a circular clock — not a rectangular one — and one with hands! How scandalous.
2. Shiny new Chromebooks
I also appreciate the newer Chromebooks we’ve gotten. I sure was shocked when I got mine. It even came with a charger, nice. At first, I wasn’t sure we all needed one, but now I’m confident that every student has put it to good use.
After all, mine is keeping the shelf underneath it free of dust, while the charger is taking up an unused charging outlet. I think it’s a great piece of decoration, and I highly recommend future homeowners consider investing in a Chromebook.
Some other nice features it comes with are the assorted array of custom apps and browsers that are only available on Chromebooks. How exclusive! I mean, where else can you get a Secure Test Browser? Definitely not on your shiny new MacBook Pro.
I’m also especially jealous of the pens that come with the Chromebooks, allowing for touch-screen functionality. I’d have never thought of having touch-screen computers. It must be a new trend because I recall Apple copying it too. Talk about plagiarism.
3. Shiny new Tower Building
From all the time I’ve spent here, there always seems to be construction somewhere, and the most recent victim was the Tower Building. It’s one of the most notable buildings on campus, just behind the portables.
Before the Tower Building was finished, it came with a lot of amenities: a covered fence with holes in the fabric you could peek through to see the bursting new quad, which was full of a range of colors. Light brown dirt, gray concrete, the full range, really. When the building was finally opened, I was tempted to explore it, but it turns out I really missed the fence. Change is hard.
4. Shiny new grass
When the Tower Building opened, so did the upper quad. I remember when it first came to life: students having picnics and lying on the grass for hours, basking in the sun. I remember feeling mesmerized by it, watching its perfect greenness blowing in the wind. I thought it was a match made in heaven.
Now, don’t worry, even after a year, it still has some good legs on it. Sure, there are patches of brown and death, but you know what they say: If it still works, don’t fix it. Besides, it was also brown and dead during construction, so I consider it to be the full circle of life.
That wraps it up for my thoughts on these recent, or not so recent, updates to Paly. I’m sure next year when students walk into classrooms, they’ll see even bigger and better changes. Maybe we’ll get three story portables, who knows?
