At the beginning of the second quarter, room 209 experienced some changes. The old tables and chairs were stripped from the room and replaced with new and improved workstations. The old ones are being saved to help replace old furniture in other classrooms.
The room is filled with roughly 32 workstations, which encourages students to work together and be more active.
Science teacher Colleen O’Rourke said, “This would help support our style of hands-on and project-based lessons, rather than pure-lecture like what science classes used to be many years ago.”
The blacktopping chemical-resistant countertops and higher stools–chosen by O’Rourke and science department chair Julia Stricker-Balistreri–give the feeling of a professional modern lab. The tables allow students to place their bags in designated cubbies to reduce the risk of any tripping hazard and give them more room.
“I believe that the elevated workstations allow for more freedom of movement, as you can easily switch from seated to standing. Also, the additional storage under the desktop limits the amount of clutter on the workstation itself,” said science instructor Brian Tuel.
As of now, this new arrangement is only available in room 209 with the hope that it will be adopted by other classrooms in the following years. Other science teachers like Tuel have also grown a liking to the new setup.
Tuel said, “We do quite a bit of group work in the sciences and the elevated tables would be a great addition.”
![](https://rcrusadernews.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/DSC_0075-1-600x400.jpg)
Students work on a group science project using the new tables in room 209.
Students in O’Rourke’s class have a split opinion about these new additions. Some love the professional look while others complain about it not having a backrest, to which O’Rourke responded with “Backless seating can improve overall posture by strengthening core muscles which are often under-used, and backless stools help improve metabolism, blood circulation, and overall posture.”
Students like senior Maximillian Reese ’24 said, “The stools are actually comfortable. I do not mind that they do not have a backrest.” Reese has also noticed that with the change he has felt “more engaged in the class while doing the work.”