As the school year began, many students were presently surprised by the modern, student-based building, Hawkins Hall. The building exists between Campbell and the stadium. The new building has been designed to give students a creative workspace. Danette Morton, the Head of the Middle School, explains “So, the idea was really to create space that was designed for the way that students actually live and go about their day and not just a building that just had classroom classroom classroom classroom classroom, which was kind of the way schools were designed back in the ’50s.” With lounge chairs and comfy seating, how can any student dislike the new building?

        Upper School students benefit from Hawkins Hall because, with all of the technology and adequate space, students have the freedom to do as they wish. All of the space provides students the opportunity to study or meet up with friends. Moreover, the new building has a modern and fresh look. Junior girl Caroline Buhay says “I think that it is really cool and there are a lot of new study spaces and a lot of new places to hang out too, and it’s very nice and I like it a lot.”       

Not only does the building provide abundant space, but it is also convenient how everything is spaced out, with lounge chairs, study tables, and places to relax. Freshman girl Cate Davis says “I really like the way they spaced everything out. It makes it a lot more convenient.” Students and visitors and teachers find what they need more easily, and the building looks more organized.

        In the Upper School, before Hawkins Hall was added, student space was limited. Students didn’t have the space to meet for study hall or just meet with friends to do school-related work in between classes. Students would have to sit in the hallways or anyplace they could find. Now, when walking into Hawkins, students find so much space for people to stay in between classes and just chill. Even when people walk outside, people can see, through the windows, all of the little spaces for students to work at. There are small conference rooms for students to work, collaborate, and just get away from the classroom. There is flexible seating everywhere people go. Also, there is visibility all throughout the building. People can always see learning and what students are doing whenever people are around or in the building.

   The building also benefits teachers in many ways. The building includes many technological amenities that the teachers need and offers communal spaces for them to connect as well. These buildings were truly designed for the way school works on a daily basis.