Although for the first few weeks of school, Barge Commons has been praised by the high schoolers and faculty thanks to the Spirit Store and Guan Café, Middle Schoolers have not been able to enjoy the new building. 

The Middle Schoolers feel excluded. “Middle Schoolers do have classes in Barge, so we can get in [the building] . . . but we can’t get anything from the café. Which is really hurtful because we can’t go to the Bookstore . . . and we can’t go to Barge. So we can’t get snacks,” says 8th grade Julia Stallworth. “But what if we’re hungry? What’s the point of it being there if we can’t use it?” 

The big question of whether or not Middle School students will be allowed to go to Guan café and Spirt store is popular throughout the school—the answer, unfortunately, is no. “Middle schoolers will not be able to go to Barge until they are 9th graders and the reason behind that is because it’s a high school perk for Upper School students,” explains Dean of Students Vielka Reina. “Similar to how the Middle Schooler’s perk from Lower School was the Book Store.”

However, for the benefit of the Middle Schoolers, the Deans are working to carve out another time that students will be able to get snacks. “We’re trying to figure out another time where you guys can go in the Bookstore so you have that option to get food as well,” Reina adds.  

This news does not satisfy hungry Middle School students. “I think that if I were a high schooler I would probably be happy that middle schoolers can’t come through because it’s their own personal building just like we have Clarkson,” says 8th grader Saachi Singh, “but I do think that it was a little bit unfair . . . if we can’t go to Barge and get snacks and we also can’t go to the Bookstore and get snacks.” 

Barge Commons, gifted by Mr. John Barge ‘64, and his wife, Mrs. Olivia Barge, serves as a community, leadership, and development center. Inside the building events, parent meetings, and classes take place. It also serves as the drop-off location for families with two or more children in Middle School and Upper School. For the time being, however, it will not feed us.