Have you ever fallen on the stairs while trying to get to class? Or got hot flashes in the school air? If you go to Ottawa Township High School, the answer is probably yes.
Our school is nicely built: beautiful courtyard, impressive field, old architecture. While most may enjoy the old build of the school and not mind that it’s outdated, it causes many challenges for students and staff.
Many schools have a lot of stairs. The combination of the old stairs with the heat can feel deadly here. Freshman Taylor Ditchfield said “The heat is absurd. I also have knee issues, so my knees just give out sometimes while stepping up those steps.” Some students find the stairs challenging. According to a recent survey, the average student fell on the stairs at least 7 times last year.
The heat can take a toll on the students. Even though students do get heat days and half days, the heat can still be annoying. “I feel that the school should have air conditioning considering how hot the school gets especially on 900 and the heat is constantly messing up our schedule,” one junior said. Half days wreck the plans for not only the students but also the staff. “Since I teach on the 900 floor, the heat can make it very difficult for students to concentrate and complete work. Even though the half days are a disruption to the schedule,” English teacher Rebecca Stamberger said.
More air conditioning and better manners in the hallway could help with the issues. English teacher Erin Byrd agreed saying, “They are working on getting air conditioning and that is really the only thing that will fix the problem. I appreciate that they are giving us half days or calling school for the heat.” Hopefully, the school’s temps will be fixed by more air conditioning because feeling like a cooked turkey is not how anyone wants to feel while trying to work.
