Change is daunting. It means forgetting old habits to develop new ones. It means forming new relationships, grasping unfamiliar cultures and reshaping one’s mindset. Every year freshmen experience it. This year, the district will.

As a result of the district’s budgetary constraints, financial packages given to teachers above the age of 60 upon retirement are gone. The district extended the packages to any teacher over 57 last year to give teachers a final chance to receive the benefit, which brought on a slew of retirements. In addition, there were a number of teachers who either left the district or were promoted to non-teaching positions. As a result, there are 23 new staff members in the high school, new department heads for World Language, English and Journalism and there is a year of change beginning.

There will no longer be stories about retired instructor Kevin Biga blowing up a pumpkin in Chemistry, retired instructor Rick Peterson’s enthusiastic intro to class (Ready, Ready, Ready, Ready, Ready, to the white board!), or, for journalism students like myself, retired instructor Rod Howe flipping the couch when rules were broken in newspaper or yearbook. Stories and people engrained in the Westside identity, a culture of excellence with enjoyment, are gone. Teachers who have taught entire families, parents included, are gone. Freshmen will only hear stories of these Westside icons. Students at the middle school may never even hear the names of retired instructors Rita Leehy or Lonnie Moore.

With the changes the school could lose its character and the quality of education could diminish. These are rational worries. In a normal year, over 400 new students come into the building and the school still maintains its traditions. But, there is a constant that holds the school together: the teachers. Without many of the most seasoned teachers at Westside, will it continue to be one of the best high schools in the nation?

Yes. The administration has always looked to improve the school in every way possibly, and I have faith they hired excellent teachers.

The teachers will bring new ideas and knowledge into the school that won’t be a replacement for the ways of past teachers, but they will be just as effective. As an example, journalism instructor Jerred Zegelis, the school’s hire to replace Howe, has brought in ideas and enthusiasm that won’t replace that of Howe, but will be just as successful. I am sure the other teachers have just as much enthusiasm and just as many ideas to help Westside succeed.

The upperclassmen of Westside will teach the new teachers about the traditions of Westside the same way they teach the freshman every year.

Freshmen will continue to sit in the English Instructional Materials Center (IMC), sophomores will continue to study in the Math IMC and juniors and seniors will continue to pass their open mods in the Social Studies IMC. There will still be a fun environment, by school standards, and excellence will continue.

Change can be frightening and lead to something worse, but it can also lead to something better. The changes for the school will bring about a better Westside.