In the midst of renovation at Oakton High School, the student body has shared their opinions about the renovation process, specifically the relocation of a large portion of classes to the new trailer area known as Cougar Towne. In a brief rundown, Cougar Towne is a group of newly built trailers located on the former tennis courts and blacktop area. Classes that have been moved to Cougar Towne include math, computer science courses, some world languages, and physical education and health classes. Many students who take multiple of the above mentioned courses have been impacted significantly by this change. Because Cougar Towne is located away from the main building, it takes students much time to travel from class to class. Some unfortunate students have more than one class in Cougar Towne each day, causing them to run from the far edges of the main building all the way outside to the trailers through Door 10, by the cafeteria. Below are some students’ opinions regarding the implementation of Cougar Towne.

Ankisha Singh

Ankisha Singh, 10, has three of her classes located in Cougar Towne: AP Computer Science Principles, Algebra 2 Honors, and Health. She has computer science 1st period, so after the 5-minute warning bell rings, she immediately heads over to Cougar Towne in order to be on time. However, because her math is right after Cougar Time, which she usually spends in a classroom upstairs, she said she is almost always late to math as a result. Luckily, Health is right after Algebra, and she is always able to get there on time. Overall, she said, “The actual Cougar Towne trailers are very nice, and they do not feel much different from a classroom. The walk there, however, is pretty far, especially if you are located inside the building. This rush to get to Cougar Towne has caused crowding at Doors 10 and 11. What I like about it though is the atmosphere of the classroom. I like going outside and getting a breath of fresh air in between classes; it helps me feel more refreshed after a busy class.”

Siona Arora

Siona Arora, 10, has two of her classes in Cougar Towne. They include: Algebra 2 and Driver’s Education. Because she has 8th period math and 6th period chemistry (located in the science hallway on the first floor near Door 2), she says it does not take too long to walk to math. Unfortunately, Driver’s Education is 3rd period, which means she walks there everyday after AP World History and English combined (upstairs near history hallway). Therefore, she says she is almost always late to Driver’s Education but because of the understanding of the teachers, there is no penalty or consequence for being late. She remarks, “I like the walk there. It’s fun to walk outside to classes with friend and get some fresh air.”

Although students dislike the long walk to Cougar Towne, however, the walk there seems worth it to many as well. Personally, having a class in Cougar Towne 7th period, it is relaxing and cooling to take a walk outside after lunch and leisurely walk around trailers with friends. The close proximity of Cougar Towne trailers serves as a convenience for students who have multiple Cougar Towne classes back to back. Nonetheless, most exciting about Cougar Towne is perhaps its promise of renovation to the main building, symbolizing a brand new start for future Oakton generations.