It is a combination of inspiration taken from the appearance of a Starbucks, the Ela Library, and a lounge. With the opening of Studio C, students now have a functional space to collaborate.

“We found out that [students] were looking for a space that [they] could feel comfortable in on a daily basis that they would be able to utilize,” Ryan Rubenstein, assistant principal for facilities and activities, said. “I think the utilization of the space, with just the feedback from students, is great so far and I only see that increasing as we get closer to finals time or where students do some more group work.”

The space opened on October 24, and, according to students, is fulfilling their wish for a more relaxed space to work.

“I love the space in the school, personally, and I think a lot of other students do too because it gives you that area where you can easily collaborate with people, but also get work done,” Nicole Marguerite, junior and member of Student Leadership Team who helped design Studio C, said. “In the cafeteria it’s kind of crazy in there so you can’t get stuff done, and in the library it always has to stay to a minimum voice-level, so it’s that nice in-between.”

Although “there are teachers in [Studio C] throughout the day monitoring the space,” according to Rubenstein, students are given the opportunity to take ownership of the space.

“In that conversation from our students, we talked about expectations for the space and one thing that became very evident very quickly was that with a new space like this, [students] wanted to take some ownership in that space,” Rubenstein said. “To them, the students that we talked to, that ownership looked like students taking responsibility for the noise level, that food is not being consumed in there, and that people are […] pleasing the space by themselves.”

Marguerite’s favorite part about Studio C is the way students have the responsibility to manage the space and says she utilizes the space “every day to every other day.”

“My favorite thing is that it’s not monitored by a teacher necessarily,” Marguerite said. “It’s just on the students to keep themselves at a respectable level and manage the space by themselves. [I also like how I am] able to actually collaborate and feel like I can talk to the person next to me without being yelled at.”