This year, the school embarked on a new initiative: Opening the gym during lunch on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. This was a success, with the gym constantly packed during both lunches. Students from different grade levels played together, with laughter being heard throughout the halls. It brought joy and happiness. It presented an escape from the stressful day of school. Going into next year, the gym needs to stay open. However, it needs to be open all 5 days of the week. 

Ben Johnson ‘26 said, “The gym has had a good impact on me as it helps me unwind during all my studies.” James Lewis ‘26 added, “The gym has had a huge impact on me just because it’s changed how I was feeling and it brought me a lot more energy especially when my days were harder.” Moreover, the gym has also provided a space for people to reconnect with friends. I can attest to this, as I strengthened my friendships with peers I don’t have classes with. Johnson added, “It was fun to see all my friends playing basketball.” Lewis said “I’m just connecting with friends like getting active at lunch. It’s really nice after especially sitting in classes.” After a tiring morning, it’s refreshing to eat lunch and play basketball, and if the gym were to be open all 5 days, many people’s mental state would be much better. Lewis said, “Using my brain in a different type of way for a couple [of] hours before that way I think it has reduced my stress.” 

Another fun aspect of the gym being open has been connecting with people from different grade levels, something difficult to do as the majority of your classes are with people from your grade. Lewis agreed, as he added “I’ve also been able to strengthen connections with my friends and others through the gym because I interact with people I normally wouldn’t interact with. Whether it’s different grades or just people I don’t share classes with, we are tied together through the gym and games like basketball so because of that, I think if the gym stopped being open during lunch it would just be there, it wouldn’t be anything more.” 

With the courtyard being closed during the winter, having the gym to play some games has been extremely beneficial. Lewis said, “The community and the active outlet that we can have especially during the winter when there’s not much else you can do I think it’s really worth it.” 

The gym has been special. It has truly changed the school’s society. Students’ mental health has improved. Students’ feelings during the long school day have gotten better. “Feeling comfortable and being student-friendly is tied to enjoying myself and positive emotions, and those are evoked when I’m at the gym,” Lewis said. Keep the gym open next year, and have it open everyday of the week.