Among many changes to West this year, the Reading Resource Room is now only functioning as a reading work area rather than a study hall. This is different from last year where many students used the ‘RRR’ as a social study hall where they could eat lunch and work in groups.

The reasoning behind this switch comes from the fact that the original intent of the room was for reading purposes. Susan Shor, who oversees the Reading Resource Room, shared some insight on the change.

“We know that every subject has a lot of reading in it, even math, and when a kid is struggling with reading or has trouble comprehending a higher level text it can affect all areas of their school life,” Shor said.

Students are upset by this new change because of past years when they would go there in their free periods. Senior Jack Shimabukuro would go to the Reading Resource Room with his friends last year to study and eat during his lunch period.

“We didn’t like the loudness of the cafeteria, so it was a nice little conclave. I think it’s a waste [this year] because it would’ve been beneficial to the people who need to study during lunch time. It’s a nice place to study,” Shimabukuro said.

This year the Reading Resource Room is used as a place to diagnose reading strengths and needs and develop individual reading skills, rather than a place to ‘hang out’ and talk to friends.

Senior Alyssa Sarilarp agrees with Shimabukuro.

“Honestly, it’s a waste because no one really has group projects here that much. There’s no place you can eat here now, besides the cafeteria,” Sarilarp said.

It was a mutual decision among the school’s faculty to implement this change because there are other areas of the school for students to ‘hang out,’ but fewer areas dedicated to quiet studying. They hope that this year the RRR will improve students’ overall success in all courses.

While off to a slower start this year, the faculty hopes that the word will spread that the Reading Resource Room is supposed to be a productive area for students. “We just feel like there needs to be a place where they can come and feel safe and have a quiet place to deal with that,” said Shor.