Westminster’s Alpha-Omega community members—seniors and faculty who have attended the school from Pre-First through 12th grade—have witnessed the campus transform over the years. Along with watching the campus change, Alpha-Omega students have created countless memories at Westminster. Their thirteen-year journey from Pre-First through Senior year forges a unique bond with the school’s traditions, community, and evolution. It also gives them a unique perspective on how the changes on campus have shaped the school and made Westminster a more inclusive environment.

In some ways, the campus is hardly recognizable to people who have known it for a long time. Love Hall’s construction 30 years ago marked one of the school’s first major expansions, and Love completed a full renovation just last year, adding new playgrounds, classrooms, and an auditorium. The administration also replaced the old Middle School building with Clarkson Hall. Hartley Jeffries, Associate Director of Middle School Admissions and former student, says, “A lot of the physical campus has changed, so the middle school that we went to was the one that got knocked down for them to do the construction project that’s happening right now.”

Alpha-Omega Senior Anish Iyer credits the construction with improving student life on campus. “The construction made student life much healthier,” says Iyer, noting the increased accessibility to food throughout the day. Despite spending his entire 8th-grade year online and his freshman year during COVID-19, Iyer vividly remembers his first day of high school. “Wow, I feel so much older,” he thought, appreciating the increased independence high school offered. The shift from middle school’s 5-minute passing periods to high school’s 10-minute breaks made a significant difference. “Which doesn’t sound like much, but it gives you enough time to go get a drink or snack from Barge or Hawkins,” says Iyer.

In recent years, students have felt more heard and have had more support regarding grades and mental health. “We’ve gotten a lot better as a school at being supportive of students in all the different ways that students need support,” says Jeffries, “like academic support from the learning strategists and counseling support for mental health, and I think we just know students better than we did when I was a student here.” The evolution of student support services demonstrates how the school has adapted to the world around us and the changes going on in society. This evolution also helps create a more welcoming community where students feel more comfortable with sharing their feelings or asking for academic support. 

Alpha-Omega students have created countless memories at Westminster. They have seen many different phases of the school, the thick and the thin. They have seen buildings go up and down, friendships begin and end, and they have grown with the school. “You are lucky to be at Westminster,” says Iyer.