In late August, MHS welcomed back students from their summer break– the building, more active than it had been for the past few months, was filled with familiar loud sounds and noises. From the stomping of shoes during transitions to the voices of students and staff alike, it seemed as if everything was returning to normal.

One new sound, however, has caught the attention of all. For, as of 7:45 on Wednesday the 27th of August, the unthinkable happened. The school bells had changed.

Guidance Counselor Scott Devlin gave some insight into why these changes came about. He learned prior to the start of the school year that the school had implemented a new system in order to adjust timings for special schedules like half days. However, this upgrade to new technology came with another unique opportunity.

Devlin soon realized that the system could “incorporate sound files” as bell sounds. This led to the creation of the modern bell sound, which is actually a couple of notes played on Mr. Guarino’s xylophone.

“Overall, I think it’s an improvement” says Devlin, indicating support for the new bell system. While staff may view this change positively, students at MHS may have other opinions.

In a survey shared in a recent publication, students were asked what they thought about the bells. Out of the students who chose to respond, the large majority dislike the bells.

Out of these responses, many returning students dislike the change, preferring the old system. "I don’t think there is much of a point in adding a new bell noise,” says senior Cullen Morrissey, also citing that the bell can be hard to hear during lunch blocks.

Even new students who aren’t familiar with the old system, such as freshman Annabel Peyton, who says, “it’s hard to hear and I can never tell when I’m supposed to go to my next class.”

While students and staff disagree when it comes to the introduction of the new system, all school community members are becoming more used to the bell, now nearly 3 months into the year. It seems that, despite the initial disruption caused, this sound may become the new normal.