On the first day of school this year, every student felt like a freshman. People who had attended Ames High for the past few years felt completely lost while searching for their classes, due to the fact that a large number of the teachers had switched classrooms. Hallways that were once named by the subjects of the classrooms located within them were renamed after universities. Many students were at a loss for words when it came to the switch. Several students and teachers saw only the negative aspect of the move, but some were able to see the good in the idea . English teacher Ginny Seibert moved from a large classroom to a considerably smaller one, but she was still able to see positive aspects of the situation. “I think a lot of teachers moved to smaller classrooms,” she said. “I’m not complaining about the move, though. It kept us fresh, it kept us on our toes.” She went on to say that change isn’t always bad, although the students may have been distraught over the change. The move was largely based on the fact that the ALP and Special Education hallways were too cut off from the rest of the school, Now most departments are relatively close together, although there are some exceptions. The math division is split between the basement and the second floor, and the foreign languages are scattered throughout multiple hallways on the first floor. Some teachers that were situated in their old rooms have had to make large adjustments in the size and versatility of each room. “I’m very happy with my location, but I miss my space,” says French teacher Stacy Dobernecker. “It’s hard to move around thirty kids.” For other teachers, however, more than just space was lost with the move. “I understand why they made the change but I think it’s really sad for teachers such as [German teacher Sam] Reichart, who had to leave some memorable things behind,” senior Renee Chang said. The paintings from the Ames-Wulfrath exchange were widely regarded as the biggest loss in the classroom rearrangement, with years of history painted over. Still, the students of Ames High have become somewhat accustomed to the move. “We’ll get used to it eventually,” says senior Torry Hand. “Change isn’t always a bad thing, and maybe it was time for us to shake it up.”