Campus Comparisons

BY CHRISTINE CHANG Staff Reporter

How does Sequoia’s campus compare to other nearby public high school campuses? While many students praise or complain about Sequoia’s historic campus, many have not thoroughly explored the campuses of other schools.

Four nearby high schools are depicted here in photographs, categorized by athletic facilities, classrooms, and student spaces: Gunn high school (Palo Alto), Palo Alto high school (Palo Alto, colloquially known as Paly), Carlmont (Belmont), and Menlo-Atherton high school (Atherton, known as M-A).

Both Gunn and Paly are currently under construction. Paly is nearing the end of renovations while Gunn is still in the midst of them, causing several classes to take place in portables, named “The Village” by students.

“I think most people would agree that the village isn’t very nice. It isn’t as nice as some of the other parts of campus because it’s so much farther away from all the buildings and all the rooms are smaller,” junior Chin Young, a student at Gunn, said.

Additionally, according to students at Gunn, Paly allegedly gets more funding due to family donations. It is true, however, that both Gunn and Paly receive more government funding than schools in the Sequoia Union High School District (SUHSD) due to tax laws.

All in all, Sequoia students do appreciate Sequoia’s campus. Senior Jesse Resnick enjoys “the landscape, the trees, and tea garden,” while freshman Diego Garcia Perez likes “how big it is.”

However, like any school, it isn’t perfect. Many students note the state of our bathrooms. Sophomore Silvana Ochoa Senteno “would change the fact that people are always vaping in bathrooms.” Other common complaints include litter around campus, the “old” appearance of hallways, and lack of an effective heating/ air conditioning system.

Students also commented on the state of Sequoia in comparison to other local schools.

“It is larger but more outdated on the inside of the main building,” junior Olivia Fraser said.

However, even more students said they hadn’t seen other nearby campuses.

“I haven’t really seen any other [campuses],” junior Natalie Ward said.