We have all seen that there is a great deal of change occurring at Elder right now.  The PFC is almost finished, the newly renovated Schaeper Center is on its way to completion, but these new buildings are overshadowing an even greater change: the desks.

The classrooms here at Elder have implemented a plethora of new furniture.  There is the new, sleek desks, chairs and podiums for the teachers, but the most important piece is the new desks.  I didn’t think much of the news about new desks until I had my first class in them because I was surprised at the difference it made.

The old desks were strong, one piece, and honestly kind of small up top.  It was always a challenge to get the textbook and notebook all on the desk without having one of the two in your lap.  Also, the chairs on the old desks were a little uncomfortable, especially compared to the new ones, and don’t even get me started on the bar that blocks your legs.

The new desks are two separate parts that can move easily.  I like this feature a lot because it is much easier to get comfortable in class.  The desk portion can also move up and down or to whatever height you need.

I asked junior Zach Noeth on his opinion on the new desks, and he said, “I like the new desks for sure.  I like how you can raise it to your own height and stand if you want.”  Another aspect of class that the new desks help out for is sleeping.  When asked about the new desks, Zach said, “I like the new desk for sleeping for sure because you can adjust and move the desk and not have to bend your back nearly as much.”  However, when asked if he misses anything about the old desk, he said, “I will miss the easy back cracking in the morning.”  The new desks do indeed make it a challenge to get a nice back crack, something I need to start my day.

I wanted to see what teachers thought of the major transition in their classrooms, so I asked Mr. Quatman what his opinion was of the new desks.  When asked which desk he prefers for his classroom, he said, “the new ones because they move easily, and eventually that would help with group work .”  He also loves the new podium because of the flat top, and his new chair makes him want to “teach from his desk all class.”  Clearly, the new furniture is getting some good reviews.

Although I will miss the old desks, I think the new ones are a good fit for Elder and the classrooms.  The morning back crack will be missed, but the new desks at Elder were a good addition to Elder.