Recently, Terrace has changed their new bell system, which has sparked mixed reactions among students.
“I don’t really like the new bell system. Sometimes it’s hard to hear the bell on Friday, it makes school feel like a joke and not in a good way,” Sophomore Alex Moreland said. “I’m tired and I don’t want to be hearing that Super Mario bell.”
Along with that, the volume of the bell has become a bit of a problem. While it may have been unintended, many students have reported that the bell system is harder to hear than before. This can become a problem when it comes to being tardy. If the area around them is loud it may cause them not to be able to hear the bell, and by the time they realize the bell has rung it may be too late.
However, the quiet bell might not be so bad, as loud sounds can trigger a “fight or flight” reaction. This releases stress hormones that when exposed to consistently, and over time, can lead to chronic stress. Teachers and students are already stressed enough, but with a loud bell it can get much worse.
Furthermore, a loud bell can also be attributed to hearing loss. A normal bell rings at about 115 decibels, which is as loud as a motorcycle passing by. Hearing this 6 times a day for 5 days can lead to hearing loss. In light of all these problems, you can see why a quieter bell might be better for the students and teachers.
Adding on to that, school needs to be taken seriously, but the bells on Friday seem to be having the opposite effect on students.
Many students have voiced their complaints about the bell on Friday. Similarly, Freshman Kdus Awgichew expresses his discontent with the change, “I think it’s absolutely horrible, especially on Fridays. I don’t want to come to school and hear the Mario theme every period. I think we’re really wasting school funding for a video game sound. This could’ve gone to the tech department, it could’ve gone to the infrastructure, it could’ve gone anywhere else. Plus it sounded just fine before, why fix something that’s not broken?”
While this does bring into question why the school decided to change the bell system, according to office manager Jessica Tovar Jacobs, it changed because of a malfunction in the old intercom system, so It was necessary to make the switch. MTHS building funds were not used to replace the intercom system that was initially installed when the building opened in 1991. In fact, district funds were used and the decision to replace the system came from the district.
The school district decided to change the bell, and along with the new system came new choices for bells. As Jacobs explained, “Yes, the system is a standardized one implemented across all schools in the district, ensuring uniformity and consistency in operations and processes.” Although it may seem like everyone dislikes the bell, some people actually do.
“I actually prefer this bell system more, hearing it makes me feel happy,” Freshman Patrick Sapida voiced his opinion..
It is clear that students have mixed opinions on this change, but it was a change that was needed. “To be honest, I like how peaceful this one sounds. It’s more soothing than the blaring sound of the old one,” Sophomore Jayden Nguyen said, embracing the change.
Sophomore Bella Purevsuren agreed, “I really like it, I think it’s more peaceful than the old one, it makes me more motivated to go to class.” The new bell system may seem like a small thing, but it shows that students really care about what is happening around their school.
