![[Left] Adriana Smith next to her seven-year-old son. [Right] | Image source: April Newkirk/gofundme | Thumbnail edited on Canva.](https://dmhsherald.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/HH-Thumnail-100-1200x777.png)
Beautiful. Extravagant. Sleek. Modern. A colossus. All words that describe Doherty’s new building. The old building was confusing, cramped, and the second and third floor seemed to blend together. But we don’t have to worry about that, Doherty now has five floors plus a basement, a major upgrade!
Thankful to have a luxurious learning environment, what better way to send off on the first year in the new building than sharing our Highlander’s feedback?
Starting off on a high note, Junior Paola Renxa shares that, “the new school was amazing because it provided so many new opportunities that the old school didn’t. The old school was falling apart but it does provide nostalgia now looking back on it.” Even though the old building was a mess, looking back on old memories, we can be proud where we are now and all the hard work it took to build this school. All the hard work paid off by giving students a safer environment to learn in, as said by Mr. Pageau. He says that now we have more room for the students, new equipment, and more square footage giving us elbow room. He highlights that the sound system, locker room, and lighting is phenomenal. And there is no hesitation at all when he says that the football field is waiting for us all in the fall season, noting the dazzling sight to lay eyes on. You know Mr. Pageau definitely appreciates it as a gym teacher!
Mr. Gervais reaches out on his opinion on the new building as well. He tells us, “I’d say the biggest difference, positively, is the hallways.” He mentions that when the seniors would leave in the old building you would know because it seemed less crowded. But, with the new building we don’t notice as much because there is room to breathe. Which is a win-win! Sophomore Rachel Sarpong shares similar opinions and adds that the weather in the new building is manageable unlike the old one, continuing by saying that there is a remarkable gym with AC.
Susan Fuentes, who is a sophomore, observed a few things as well. She went to a different school last year and describes how the overall structure of the new building is different from her last one. She reports, “the new building is convenient because of the layout, it’s compact so it makes it easier to get around.” Although she continues by saying, “it is not totally organized in how the classes are distributed.” She explains that some classes are on one floor and then some on the next. Some people have classes on the first floor and fourth or fifth floor all in one day. However, she mostly shares positive feedback but just encourages the counselors to keep in mind where classes are located when scheduling them for students. Especially keep this in mind because we all definitely know what it’s like to walk up all those stairs!
A freshman also gave voice to his claim. He likes the general structure of the school however, it was hard to navigate at first. His advice to future freshmen was to go to orientation and do a tour of the school because it can be confusing with all the staircases. When speaking to him he doesn’t falter to say that his experience in the construction program is really good for being a first year and there are tools and items to build on sight. At least that is a plus in the new school with all the opportunities to enlist in educational programs with hands-on learning!
Thinking of all these factors contributing to the new building, Ms. Dine comments on her side of the story. She begins with, “we have a very nice and comfortable environment to learn,” later saying how she doesn’t see everyone taking care of the new building like she should because the building should and needs to last for future generations. We all know, students and staff, that a big building is hard to take care of. So, if we all pitch in, we can have it for years to come. Like Ms. Dine says, “we have the best high school building in Massachusetts maybe even the country.”
Coming to an end, Doherty is a wonderful space to learn and there are numerous spaces to work learn valuable lessons. Student athletes can appreciate the gym, cheer/dance room, and the weight room as well. We definitely have a ginormous cafeteria that some may even say it reminds them of High School Musical. The stairs might be a trudge but we are all thankful for the bigger hallways and pleasant classrooms. We are all lucky after the first year in this new Doherty. Until next year, goodbye 2024-2025 school year. The old building is long gone!
