As of Monday, March 10, Housatonic’s Senior Lounge has been closed indefinitely. The lounge, which is a space for seniors to go during free periods, was shut down by Vice Principal Steven Schibi after reports of students cutting class, problematic language, and the room being kept unclean.
According to the email sent out to the senior class by Schibi, “I am disappointed to have to close this room as I have not had to do this for a long period of time,” he stated. “We want you to have privileges but they need to be earned.” The ban was effective the following day.
The decision was made in hopes to improve the social environment within the lounge, and keep students from skipping classes in the room. “We’re noticing there’s more infractions coming from seniors, and we find them in the senior lounge,” Schibi said. He said the ban is an attempt to reinforce positive behaviors.
The closing of the lounge is temporary, Schibi said, but he didn’t offer a timeline for its return.
The decision has been controversial among Housatonic’s senior class. Senior Marc Hafner strongly disagreed with the decision to remove the lounge. “The space has served as a cornerstone of senior community — a place where students could decompress, connect, and foster bonds during their final year of school,” he said. He said he hopes administrators will repeal the decision soon.
For many students, the lounge provides a space for social connection. Senior Arianna Gold said the lounge fosters connection among students. “It’s 100% a community,” she said. “I see kids from all backgrounds go in there. We’re all such different people, yet coming together for the same purpose.” She felt that taking away the lounge takes away a safe space for many students.
Other students had differing views of the lounge. Senior Hannah Johnson said that closing the senior lounge is promoting a better school environment. “Students were using the senior lounge as an inappropriate way to express their beliefs in a school setting that wasn’t being monitored — including hanging up Trump flags, swearing, and leaving trash — that was affecting others in the building,” she said. “I would say most of the senior class, if not many of the senior class, didn’t want to go because of how it was being treated.” Johnson faced criticism from other students and accusations of theft after she took down a pro-Trump flag hanging in the lounge and stowed it in a cabinet away from view.
Administrators have emphasized that students must work to maintain a cleaner and less disruptive environment to earn the senior lounge privilege back.
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