Benilde-St. Margaret’s ‘vibe’ this year fluctuates with each student and teacher based on their different experiences. BSM rules are different compared to last year, so, the big question to ask is: what really is the vibe this year?

Students have different viewpoints of the year so far as they are moving up in grades in the school. There is more responsibility and work being given to students trying to prepare for college. “My year has been okay. [The] classes are difficult. They’re a lot harder than last year and I’m getting a lot more homework,” sophomore Bridget Wickner said.

Students have noticed that in nearly all of their classes, the teachers feel like they are behind. With mass days, event days, and having days to watch teams play at state, it seems to be difficult to stay on track. On special schedule days, classes get cut short, so students feel rushed and overloaded to get their work done. “I feel like the teachers are continuously complaining about being behind in every single class. All of my teachers are always [saying], ‘we are behind right now in our material, we need to hurry up and learn this,” Wickner said.

Theology teacher Becca Meagher feels like she is on the go at all points of the day this year, even though the schedule is the same as last year. “I’m teaching the exact same amount of classes, but I feel busier this year than I did last year. And I don’t know why. I’m traveling a lot to my classes. I travel to four different classrooms for my five classes, [but] practically, my workload is the same,” Meagher said.

The workload has increased for sophomores compared to their freshman year. It has become more noticeable as the first semester comes to a close. Students have motivation knowing how important grades are becoming for college “I know that my sophomore grades have more of an impact than my freshman grades. So I feel like I try more academically,” Wickner said.

Students also feel that there isn’t always a balance of homework. It feels as though there is either none or too much work. “I still have a decent amount of homework, and I feel like I had a lot of homework last year too. But, there are some nights that I have nothing and then there are some nights that I have a lot,” Juckiness said.

COVID-19 lasted around two years but will have long-lasting effects on the community. “I think Covid does still have an effect on BSM. I think there’s gonna be lasting effects, even just educationally, [consistently] over the next 10 or 15 years,” Assistant Principal Matt Weingartz said.

This year has been the first in a few years that things haven’t been affected by Covid. It seems as though the BSM community is going back to how it was pre-Covid. “I would say it’s a return to normal [and a] return to the way things were,” Meagher said.

The “BSM Plague” is a common strand of sickness constantly going around the school. Students spend so much time together in enclosed spaces, it’s easy to give an illness to someone else. During this time period, many students still come to school even if they aren’t feeling well. “So many people get sick and then come to school sick and it’s just this whole cycle,” junior Mandy Cronin said.

For administration, the class of 2023 senior leadership this year is going great. They are embracing the role that they need to step into place for. “I really enjoy the senior class leadership that they’re providing to our school…You always want to leave the school in a better place than when you [arrived],” Weingartz said.

Returning students felt the class of 2022 lacked school spirit and did not go to many school activities. However, this year’s senior class is much more involved, and underclassmen feel more inclined to look up to them. “The seniors last year didn’t really do anything. During like sports games this year, there’s more cheering and more chants whereas last year there was not,” Wickner said

The school has been trying to weave through problems that pop up. Between the “BSM Plague” returning from Covid, and varying schedules, this year has had its ups and downs. No one can really pinpoint the “vibe” because it is constantly changing.