Many students did not return to the building for in-person learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This makes it the first year of in-person classes at Metea for sophomores and freshmen. This can be scary and confusing for most people. 

“All of the halls look the same,” freshman Gianna O’Brien said. 

New students are confused at first when stepping in a larger building with different floors, letters, and room numbers. They tend to find that the teachers and fellow students are a helpful resource for their smooth transition to highschool.

“I helped some students new to the building, in some cases I walked them to class in the right direction,” chemistry teacher Stephanie Stout said. “We tend to have more issues with freshmen.”

Hallways are a popular opinion of why it is so hard to transition to Metea. O’Brien gave a tip of “Do not try to memorize your room numbers. Focus on finding the correct hallways and look at the numbers on the wall from there,”

At first it may be confusing to navigate your way through the building, but many staff members are willing to help and change your perspective on finding classes.

Another thing that has changed over COVID-19 is style. Many changed their hair, makeup, clothes, shoes, and even attitudes. 

“Some new and interesting things I have seen about the students are the different fashion statements,” O’Brien said.

The pandemic affected many things, but especially students’ interests. There are different ways to view the school. Positive, negative, or anywhere in between. One thing in common with many different people is that communication, kindness, and compassion are the most important ways to make Metea a kind learning environment for all.