By Ally Hudson and Madeleine Burke

As the end of the school year draws to a close… We decided to reach out to some of the students to hear their best and worst moments, changes, and feelings throughout the 2021-2022 school year!

There were so many factors that went into making the 2021-2022 special. But let’s start with some of the less recent changes that were made this year. 

The New School Bells: When the new bells were put in.. they came in like a storm. They were very surprising to many. Some found them similar to sleigh bells, and others believe they were in the purge. Although it’s been months, who knows if such a change could ever be adopted? Well, the students responded, and over half of them said that they have gotten used to the new bells. Although they may be slightly annoying and different, at least they aren’t frightening others anymore, which is a good sign! 

The Mask Mandate: Just as spring was rolling in, a change in weather also led to a change in mask mandates at HB. This new change gives students the option to continue wearing their masks or decide not to wear one for the school day. Although this development has some exceptions (morning meeting), it is still very significant to the 2021-2022 school year! It is definitely going to take some getting used to, so we reached out to the students! Over half of the students replied, saying that they respected their peers’ decision to or to not wear a mask during the school day. What a true HB sister moment. It truly shows that no pandemic can separate our sisterly bond. Respect was the true response we needed with a new mask mandate at HB!

Morning Meeting being back in the auditorium: After years of bad connection and awkward zoom calls, the morning meeting is back in person. This has been one of the very recent developments in the HB community, and if I’m being honest I personally missed it. There’s something special about being in person and hearing other students and teachers’ announcements instead of over a zoom call. However, this can be very stressful for the students as well as being cramped back into the auditorium… so we decided to reach out and find out how the students truly feel about such a new change. The student responses were very fixed on this question. The majority responded by saying that they did not enjoy the new morning meeting change and would rather stay in their mentor rooms during this time. 

2021-2022 Class Responses: If there’s one thing about HB that stays constant through every school year, it is that the classes are always challenging. From late-night studying… to planning to wake up at 4 am and “finish” that assignment, there is truly no change in the workload. However, over the years curriculum has changed, so here were the students’ responses to questions in their classes. The majority responded by saying that some of their classes were truly good, while others were genuinely really hard. Honestly, there is no better truth than that! Some students thrive in certain classes but have a harder time in the others. In the end, HB classes are just challenging in their own specific ways. 

HB Homecoming!!: Although the entire school was not at this event, a majority was still there! These types of events truly go both ways for HB, and with the 2021-2022 school year, homecoming looked a little different. The most significant change? Homecoming outside. This meant heels in the grass and blasting music into the courtyard. When asked about the new version of homecoming, almost half of the students replied, saying they had fun outside even with the new change. However, many others replied, saying the music did not meet their standards. Maybe homecoming outside will be a permanent change to HB tradition, but we know that the music has to change soon!     

Best/class moments from this year: While going to school is hard for obvious reasons; it doesn’t mean there can’t be some fun highlights from school this year! Everybody had differing responses, but a common one was just making new friends. HB introduces so many new faces each year, creating opportunities for new friendships and acquaintances. Other people also said getting to play Esports was quite a highlight of their year. The togetherness and sense of community are really what make it! Lastly, people said they really enjoyed some of HB’s delightful activities like homecoming, carnival, orchestra, theater, and IDEO. 

Worst moments from this year: Of course, with every good moment there must be some bad ones for the students at HB. Although it is not surprising, many students felt as though midterms were the most strenuous parts of the year. The constant studying and early morning tests were enough to make the list of worst moments for this school year. However, let’s not forget the hard classes and long nights of homework. Biology seems to be the majority of peoples’ least favorite classes from the year, especially the homework load that comes with it. 

Through all the long nights studying, homecoming dances, and stressful midterms this 2021-2022 school year was truly special to the student body!