By Emma Gerigk Lopez, Year 9
Emma: Hi everyone! I’m Emma Gerigk Lopez, I’m in Year 9, and I’m thirteen years old. Today, I’m here with my best friend, Kimon.
Emma: Kimon recently switched from Nations Ecolint to LGB Ecolint, and today we’ll be discussing the differences between the two campuses. Why did you decide to move to LGB?
Kimon: I had some problems at Nations with teasing and discrimination, and I didn’t have any friends to help me handle it. That’s why I decided to transfer to LGB. The theatre program here is stronger, and I already had friends at LGB who I knew would support me if the same issues happened again.
Emma: How do the support systems at LGB compare to those at Nations?
Kimon: At Nations, I felt that their policies on discrimination and mental health were a bit ignored. There wasn’t enough action taken, probably because it’s a smaller school with fewer staff. Since moving to LGB, I’ve seen these issues handled better. Still, Nations has its good points, but when it comes to addressing discrimination, LGB definitely does a better job.
Emma: What about the workload? How does it compare between the two schools? Do you feel more stressed at LGB?
Kimon: There’s definitely a difference. At Nations, we had a rule where we were told about assignments or tests at least a week ahead of time. It gave us plenty of time to prepare and made things less stressful. I actually found the work at Nations harder than at LGB, which is why we had less homework — the lessons were more detailed. That one-week rule really helped with time management, and I think LGB should introduce something similar.
Emma: How would you describe the relationships between students and teachers at both schools?
Kimon: At Nations, it was a bit more casual. Since we didn’t have a separate middle school, the teachers really got to know the Year 9 students, and we talked with them more informally. But that sometimes caused issues, because some students started disrespecting the teachers. At LGB, things are more formal, especially as we move from middle school to high school. Students don’t interact with teachers as casually here, and I think that’s partly because they know it wouldn’t be tolerated. As we get older, I think student-teacher relationships might change a bit, but for now, the teachers here are respectful and kind.
Emma: What does a typical week of homework look like at LGB?
Kimon: The deadlines at LGB can feel overwhelming because they’re unpredictable. Some weeks are packed with assignments, while other weeks are lighter. At Nations, with the one-week system, homework was always assigned and due at the same time, which made it easier to manage. It was consistent, and you knew what to expect. At LGB, the workload is more uneven, which can make it stressful, especially when you’re trying to avoid procrastinating. I think LGB would really benefit from adopting that system.
Emma: What do you think of managebac, the app\website we use for tracking deadlines and homework?
Kimon: I think managebac was used much better at Nations. Every teacher was familiar with it, and all deadlines, tests, and grades were posted there, which made things simple. It was the only platform we needed, and it was easy to check grades and calculate averages. At LGB, though, some teachers use Google classroom, some use ManageBac, and others use both. It can get really confusing when you need to check multiple places. I think LGB should stick to using just one platform to make things clearer for students.
Emma: Thanks for answering my questions Kimon.
Kimon: Thank you for having me.
