At the end of the second week in October, something changed in the Junior Lounge. (J-Lounge)  The popular hangout spot usually crowded with juniors as well as seniors was now partially blocked off by a temporary construction wall.  Almost as quickly as the wall went up, Jefferson students got to writing on it.

“D. Glaze, tear down this wall.”

A play on the historical call to tear down the Berlin Wall, Jefferson students showed their frustration.  A relatively large part of their space had been taken away from them, causing them to have to move about thirty feet down to the previously fairly unused other half of J-Lounge.

But why does this new wall have to be such a big issue?  There was always a lot of empty space in J-Lounge, away from the hallway-congesting glob of people.  While the anger at the wall has somewhat subsided, it never should have been an issue.

Unfortunately, Senior Lounge has been moved and Jefferson’s seniors have had to move to J-Lounge to socialize between classes.  There is going to be a large number of kids in J-Lounge – that’s inevitable.  It’s up to those who are there to make the most out of the still large amount of space available to them.

Outside of the time between classes and lunch, the lack of space in J-Lounge has been a problem.  For Jefferson’s dance team, there is nowhere for practice to be held Wednesdays after school.  If the renovations continue to get in the way of school-sponsored activities, the situation will amount to more than dust, missing ceiling tiles, and lack of space to hangout.

But if students are going to complain, they should at least try to make the most out of the situation.  One of Jefferson’s hallmarks is the rock, which students spray paint advertising for events.  However, it takes a while for the rock to be painted and most groups only do it for special events.

On the other hand, the J-Lounge wall can be used for much more.  WebAssign and math problems aside, the wall has a variety of uses as a forum for student expression. The humor and wit from comments on the wall are a quick and refreshing break from the stress of school.

As long as nothing offensive is written, the wall is fair game.  If anyone desecrates the wall, the privilege will likely be taken away from all the students whom it benefits.  As a group of intelligent and motivated students this shouldn’t have to be a problem.

So go on, hate the wall all you want, but stop and read something on it – you deserve a laugh.