This year is a year of metamorphosis for Ames High. Radio tunes are now blared over the loudspeakers for students to jam to during passing periods, ID checks by teachers are enforced whenever students want to leave the school, and hallways are referred to by college in order for freshmen to find their way. At the end of the semester, yet another change will impact both students and teachers of Ames High. This year, final exams will be administered over the course of two days (January 11 and 12) versus the traditional three day span. For as long as many can remember, final exams have always been issued over the course of three days. As a result, some students regard this change as random and confusing. “I have no idea why they would’ve wanted to make this change,” junior Emily Hall said. According to associate principal Dr. Mike Avise, a committee of teachers studied the topic of semester exams last year. “This year’s schedule was the one that group generated that received the most support from the committee,” Avise said. Some students do not appear to share the same support for the new schedule as the committee of teachers who constructed it. “It’s way more stressful because there’s way less time for me to relax and gather myself, not to mention extra studying,” Hall said. Although some students are not happy about the schedule, there are some hidden benefits to the changes. “In the past, teachers assigned major projects for students to work on that were due after winter break, but that will no longer be the case. This should help relieve some stress that has existed in the past,” Avise said. “Also, test days end at 1:30, which should be an advantage for students and teachers.”