After many changes to AcLab caught students off guard, even more find themselves lacking a place to stay due to the North Cafeteria closing. 

Other areas remain available for social time or work, including the South Cafeteria and library. However, the current plan splits the time between the two: underclassmen receive the spaces during the first block of AcLab, and upperclassmen the second.

“I really don’t like that,” said Hanan Mohamed ‘25. “It just makes things difficult when I can only find a place to stay for half of AcLab.”

Initially, students disliked the lack of space, hoping for changes that improved AcLab rather than worsening it. As of now, this remains unfulfilled.

 “We were upset that we were too crowded,” said Mohamed. “Losing another space is only going to make things more crowded.”

On the bright side, not all students find themselves significantly impacted.

“I stick around in one place most of the time, so I’m usually fine,” said Mohamed. “But it’s still irritating that other people don’t have the access they used to.”

Most students must find a reliable, open space to reside during AcLab.

“There’s a teacher I usually go to if he’s there,” said Jasmine Ching ‘25. “It’s a lot less crowded than most spots.”

But with so many classrooms dedicated to quiet or working environments, the number of spaces once filled by the library and cafeteria are now even smaller.

“It’s especially difficult when the teachers I usually go to are gone,” said Ching. “If they’re in meetings or supervising some other spot, we don’t have anywhere to go if the other spots are gone.”

All of these changes, meant to improve AcLab, only serve to annoy students further.

“It feels like a lot of the changes recently haven’t been the best,” said Jordan. “Nobody I know likes them, and I’ve heard a lot of people complain.”

Students may adapt to these changes, but likely later than sooner.

“I mean, the first ones were fine,” said Mohamed. “But now, it just feels like everything is getting worse.”

As the year goes on and more changes become implemented, student approval decreases. Despite this, the unaffected students believe improval lies within reach.

“It might be that thing where it sounds terrible but then works out,” said Jordan. “If they find ways to make classrooms less crowded, I think people will feel more comfortable about it.”

Hopefully, in the coming months, students will find these changes more bearable.

“I see people starting to get used to it eventually,” said Ching. “It’ll take a while, but it will happen eventually.”