When we returned to school after spring break, one of the first things we noticed was that the benches had been rearranged. What used to be familiar spots for hanging out or eating lunch suddenly looked different. All benches were moved from horizontal and then vertical when returning to school. The change would catch a lot of students off guard and start conversations about why it was done and whether it actually improved anything. It has affected students because as soon as we came back, the sun started to hit us during lunch, making students hot and complain.
Another change we noticed after spring break was the removal of the roof covers that used to provide shelter over the benches. Without them, we’re now exposed to all kinds of weather, whether it’s light rain, strong wind, or harsh sunlight. The covers used to make those areas more comfortable and usable throughout the day, no matter what the weathe
r is like. Now, students often have to look for other places to sit or stand during breaks, and the benches don’t feel as inviting as they once did.
We decided to make to survey the students about what they think about the new changes.
According to Junior Alex Tafolla, “since there’s no tarp, it’s hot sometimes some days and my back is burning”. It affects students by being burned by the sun and since our school uniform is black it makes it more hot.
According to a Junior Kimberly Ponce, “I don’t like how the benches and tarp have changed, it’s more hot and we have to sit in the sun, Although there are gaps we have to take the whole way around because students are covering the gaps making us go around”.
Some say they were moved around for safety reasons, so we decided to ask the principal himself the reason why they were rearranged. According to the principal at Animo Pat Brown Mr.Reed he stated, “We planned for a permanent shade structure from the start—it just took a long time to get county approval. Over spring break, they finally took the old one down and started putting up the new one.
We realized how the roof hasn’t been covered, and people who sit there wonder why? According to Mr.Reed, “We were told everything would be ready by spring break, but the facilities team let us know the shade part wouldn’t be finished until the end of the month”. We have to take into consideration that it was not the school’s intention to remove the shade, because of the minor delay by the company, they were left with no choice.
Mr.Reed added that he cares about his students and wants his students to feel safe and comfortable.
“We didn’t want students sitting in the sun, so we ordered umbrellas in the meantime, though they only offer limited shade.” Said Mr. Reed, “They had to move all the benches out during construction, and when they put them back, I don’t think they paid attention to the original layout. It wasn’t intentional—just how the workers set it up.
Update: 5/16/25
This morning an update came out that there will now be a temporary tarp to provide shade for the students. The bench layouts have not been changed so we will continue to push for change, we have been told the new permanent tarp should be installed by next week.
This pie chart shows that 76.5% of people requested the benches to be returned to their original positions. The overwhelming majority clearly prefer the old layout over the new one.
