The furniture around the bridge area will potentially make a return, according to discussions between Student Council and Principal Stafford W. Thomas Jr. The discussions have been had after the removal of furniture for the past couple of years due to concerns over rodents, noise and crowding.
“Currently, through the Collab Team, we’re in discussion with Principal Thomas, department chairs and other teachers about the best path forward [for the implementation of furniture],” Student Council President Dylan Fiore ’24 said. “I’m not sure if we’ll get [all the furniture] back to the way it once was, but I’m confident that some kind of compromise can be reached.”
Due to decreasing student populations, tables, chairs and couches that were previously located at the ends of hallways and outside the library have been relocated to near the cafeteria and outside the auditorium. These placements, at least for the time being, have been said to be more effective locations.
“We set up some tables outside of the library when we had a larger population,” Thomas said. “Then we added tables to the outside of the cafeteria. So we didn’t need those tables because there was going to be overflow seating for the cafeteria.”
During the COVID-19 pandemic, seating was made more available around the school due to higher demands for social distancing. That need is no longer present.
“We did not have tables outside of the library or outside the cafeteria until COVID [when we had to] start spreading out and so population wise it was space sufficient,” Thomas said.
Still, there is a potential risk of crowds, food, trash and rodents returning to the bridge area if furniture is reinstated.
Administrators remain in conflict about the best ways to reimplement hallway furniture.
“I know certainly teachers are happy if students are happy, but again, I didn’t want the unwelcome visitors in the hallways,” Thomas said.
Still, students are hopeful that furniture will return.
“I think one thing that makes Staples special is our community,” Fiore said. “The spaces the furniture gives, away from the noise of places like the cafeteria, gives students a place to connect with people, and I think that was a meaningful loss the student body suffered.”
