Most students do not want to go to school. This is a fact. Students don’t hop out of bed every morning because they are excited for what lies ahead of them. They drag themselves out of bed with a groan because they are legally required to go to school. Learning is not what most people would describe as exciting; but, there are teachers who make it seem that way, which is great help to those who absolutely abhor school. Despite the fact that Quartz Hill has great teachers and many interesting electives that students can take, there is still something missing that can elevate Quartz Hill from a good school to a great one: the campus.  

It is no secret that Quartz Hill is an old school. It was founded in 1964, and is one of the oldest schools in the district. Although, recently, QHHS has been slapped with expansions, new paint, some renovations, and a new mascot. In addition, there is a much larger parking lot and a great centerpiece at the front of the school. Most students are happy about these upgrades, that give the school new life. However, even though the exterior may look nice, the inside of the school is still a piece of work.

One of the biggest complaints by students are the vending machines. Leah Martinez, a talented choral student and avid user of vending machines, has many things to say about our campus, but she started with the vending machine crisis.

“I start lunch in the 300 quad, but I don’t buy lunch in the cafeteria or quick serve because I never like the food there, so I always go to a vending machine. But the one in the 300 never works or is never stocked, so I always have to walk to the 200 or just eat nothing for the day. The school should have a specific day of the month to restock because it is never consistent, and that kinda sucks for me since I usually walk home.” Martinez brought up a great point that other students also mirrored: QH is not consistent or on time with most things they plan or should do.

Morgan Grundy, a bright sophomore, also expressed her frustration with the school’s inconsistencies.

“The soap dispensers are always empty– always. I just remember last year in 4th period PE, the locker room soap was always out and everyone had to basically beat up the dispenser to get one drop of soap out.”

Emma Montesdeoca also had something to add to that sentiment: “When it comes to resupplying school items, it gets all weird, and there’s constantly no paper towels. If the school could gather themselves together and be stable that would be nice.”

The bathrooms at Quartz Hill never seem to have everything they need. If there is toilet paper, there is no soap. If there is soap, there are no seat protectors. If there are seat protectors, there are no hand towels. It’s almost as if the students can never win.

This disorder is not only in bathrooms, but in classrooms as well.

Nahomy Ramirez, a tennis player and a member of the swim team, attested: “Classrooms never get cleaned when teachers ask for it. And when they do get cleaned, it’s always half-done. You can tell because the floor in the corner of the room is still trashy.”

How can teachers, administrators, and parents expect children to be happily learning when they cannot even tolerate the environment they are working in? It’s practically unfair to think so.

Whether Quartz Hill is understaffed, underfunded, or just generally unequipped to handle the problems being thrown at them on a regular basis, the inability to be consistent is beginning to seep into the students’ day-to-day education and affect studies. Students get annoyed when a classroom is simply too cold or too hot. Therefore, imagine learning in a classroom that’s too dirty and too polluted with trash– all on an empty stomach, because all that’s left in the vending machines are the Lucky Charms cereal bars that you’d rather die than eat.