It was only a month ago that SAS students from grades K-12 walked through the familiar red gates to school. Many were greeted with a surprise not from the inside of the school, but from the outside: miniature water springs and plants sprouting from every corner now replaced the familiar wooden tables from years prior. The Eagle Shop, a small counter of school merchandise, was also removed and shifted to a small table within the school. 

“The mix of Chinese culture in an American school is very nice,” comments Tiffany Kuo, sophomore, praising the fengshui element of the fountains. Nonetheless, she does not believe that it was necessary or beneficial. “The money could’ve been spent on lockers instead,” Kuo adds, feeling that the money spent on fountains could have been relocated to more practical projects.

These sentiments are echoed by Elizabeth Bois, sophomore, who feels that the entrance to the school was fine the way it was before. She also thought that the Eagle Shop could have stayed in the same location.

Amanda Cai, sophomore, shares similar opinions. “It’s a nice touch to the school, but the money could’ve been spent on fixing the tattered couches in classrooms.” She also thought the Eagle Shop’s new location diminished the value of the phrase “Eagle Shop,” as the impermanence of the location made it less grounded than before.