Going from awkward middle school life to high school was a jarring change, but the changes that happened within high school often had a similar impact, though on a smaller scale. Throughout the 4 years, I have enjoyed at Air Academy, many things have changed, both small and large.

1. Peace tea- It was a great semester when the vending machine in Lower D  provided $0.99 Peace Teas. It was a social revolution, though short-lived and proved a bitter disappointment when I return after summer ready to quench my thirst with a decently priced beverage only to be devastated when the vending machine that had previously been the dispenser of the beautiful ambrosia had been filled with only disappointing Dasani’s and zero-cal lemonades.
2. 5-period schedule- For one year of my high school career, 3&4 periods were repeated every day along with a familiar schedule of Blue 1 2 and 5 and the same for silver. This, however, was changed to our current straight block schedule of only blue and only silver days.
3. Academy- Oh Academy; this 20-minute break between 1st and 2nd period was rolled back and replaced with the twice-a-week, 40-minute Kadet time. The loss of the 20-minute free period cut many students deep as the new equivalent, Kadet time, is an actual class with attendance and not the free period that Academy was.
4. Kadet coffee/lounge- Started by DECA, Kadet coffee is a new addition and a convenient place to get your caffeine fix in between classes or during Kadet time. The coffee lounge provides a nice place to eat lunch or even just hang out with friends designed by the Interior Design class the lounge is reminiscent of a traditional coffee shop with a relaxing atmosphere.
5. Lunch food- For a while, the lunchroom offered Starbucks coffee in the morning; there was also an a la carte option during lunch. Now, both the Starbucks coffee and a la carte option have left the lunchroom and smoothies and cold brew have filled the gap in the lunch options, as well as a variety of diet and low-calorie sodas and juices.
6. Parking- The parking lot at Air Academy has always been a place of struggle and strife but this year, in particular, the parking situation has escalated to extreme levels. In previous years, students would use the left-hand lane to speed through the parking lot and turn around on private property, this was an issue which was resolved by closing the left-hand lane which has created extraordinary lines with wait times up to 20 minutes.
7. WiFi- There was a time before Instagram and Snapchat were blocked on school Wifi, a wondrous time before VPN’s and your parents yelling at you for using up all the data. That time, unfortunately, has passed and although the school has new wifi it seems slower and more inaccurate.

Though these four years seemed to go by so fast, many events and changes have made them meaningful.