Going into junior year as a Link Leader, I was fairly confident about all but one thing: I did not know where the new room numbers were. I knew I could look forward to a whole lot of “Do you know where *insert room number* is?” from my freshmen, and my responses would be a variety of answers essentially meaning “No, I’ll be getting lost too.” Although the transition into the new layout was a bit confusing at first, I am slowly getting used to it, and my freshman have the advantage of not having to relearn the layout completely.

If you are feeling disoriented among the confusing 4-digit room numbers, rest assured that you are not the only one. You can also feel comforted in the fact that the room numbers have been changed for valid and useful reasons. Brian Ceriani, assistant principal of Arapahoe, was very clear about the importance of these changes for our safety and convenience (after we learn the locations of the new rooms, of course).

“This is the big change, the one that affects everyone,” said Ceriani in reference to the room number update. It truly does affect everyone, teachers very much included, and it will be a learning process for all of us. He was explicit in stating that a lot of thought was put into the change, and there are a lot of good reasons for them. One of the most important reasons was the security aspect. With the new room numbers set up the way they are, the police and firemen in the area can be trained with the specific labeling, making them more efficient during dangerous situations. All rooms have the number listed on the top and side of the door facing the hallway, and another on the top of the door facing into the classroom.  This layout maximizes efficiency and allows for the safest outcomes. In addition to the new room numbers, panic buttons were added to the school. Now that the room numbers are listed so many times around the entrance to the classroom, it is easy to report where an incident is occurring without delay.

The new signs also have relation to ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) code. They are now easily seen by people who require a wheelchair, and are also equipped with braille labels. They also sport the color of LPS blue, just to make all the signs throughout the schools in the district uniform.

So sure, it is an annoyance to relearn where your classes are, but it is worth it for the added benefits. A good tip to remember is that the 1200 numbers start at the east end of the school in the art and tech studies hallway, and the 1300s are mostly the band and drama rooms; 1400s consist of north, central, and south classrooms, and anything higher is in the science wing or upstairs. Somehow, at least for me, feeling safer is definitely a fair tradeoff for a (slightly more than) minor inconvenience.