MOD SQUAD
Students and teachers adjust to the new modular building
I
JOSH BASS SPORTS & COPY EDITOR | ARNAV GUPTA COPY EDITOR
t’s January 2020: you turn a corner, meeting a mob of students flooding the hallway. Immediately engulfed, you follow the crowd, hoping to break free in time to make it to class. At this point, it’s a daily routine. What else would you expect from a school at 127% capacity? McLean students have learned to push and shove between class periods, but overcrowding quickly became an afterthought as the pandemic began its global rampage. With the majority of McLean students stuck at home, officials were able to take the first step toward alleviating overcrowding by installing a modular building in place of cramped outdoor trailers. “Construction started about the time we were put out of school due to COVID and finished in the middle of February,” Director of Student Activities Greg Miller said. Almost like a miniature version of the school building, the mod has several hallways and classrooms, which leaves space for amenities such as bathrooms and teacher workrooms. “The mod is so much nicer than the trailers,” English teacher Elise Emmons said. “We have bathrooms, our own workroom, and I park outside right outside of my room,
so I feel very comfortable out there.” Students no longer have to traverse a maze of trailers searching for their classrooms, as the mod serves as a centralized class hub. “The location of the mod is perfect [in proximity] to the school; the breezeway is right there as well as most of the main doors,” junior Bella DeMarco said. “The only [downside] would be having to go outside to enter the mod, but with nice weather it’s not really a problem.” The mod provides a comfortable learning space for students. “[The mod] is more secluded, less crowded and cleaner than the building,” DeMarco said. “The Wi-Fi and temperature are also much more consistent than the trailers.” McLean’s addition isn’t particularly new, however; the mod was transported from Carson Middle School during the quarantine. The mod was originally planned to only house world language classes, but McLean’s administration decided to take advantage of the space and place other classes there this year as well. As the school year approached, administrators calculated the amount of students who could safely fit in each class, relocating teachers to accommodate pandemic restrictions.
RIGHT IN OUR BACKYARD — Serving as an extension to the school, the modular is a short walk from the main building. The construction process started in March 2020 and finished roughly a year later in February 2021. 22 | FEATURES | APRIL 2021
“Our original plan was to put world languages out there as a group, but we had to make adjustments due to social distancing,” Assistant Principal Jeffrey Barham said. “Eventually, we hope to get world languages in the mod to keep them together.” Safety policies in the mod are no different from those in the building. “COVID restrictions are the same but a little bit easier to follow,” DeMarco said. “With less people in the mod I am not as worried about feeling overcrowded or having to constantly think about social distancing.” The spacious classrooms in the mod give a variety of classes the room they need to succeed. “I agree with the plan to have the mod be here semi-permanently,” said Entrepreneurship teacher Debbie Fargo, who teaches inside the modular. “It is a nicer structure with classrooms that can be set up for collaborative projects and discussions.” The mod seems to be a success so far, with teachers and students alike expressing their happiness about its convenience and various amenities. “I like the mod better than [the trailers],” Fargo said. “It feels like your own space and is away from some of the crowds that will be back next year.”
JUST LIKE HOME — The inside of the new mod is similar to the interior of the actual school. The new building provides much more space for both students and teachers, including bathrooms and workrooms. Photos by Katie Romhilt | Page design by Taylor Olson
