The gym ceiling in WJPS seems to be fragile, with tiles falling or moving out of place when slightly hit by a ball or badminton birdie. This makes the building often have to close the gym for repairs. 

To try and combat this, the school will be installing a new net over the ceiling, to not only catch balls or any equipment stuck in the ceiling before they fall, but to shield the ceiling from any incoming objects.  

Until the net is installed, the school has put a temporary ban on hard balls such as basketballs, volleyballs and soccer balls, and as a result the students have been given alternatives, namely beach balls. 

However, how do the students feel about the change? 

WJPS senior Samuel Park, said, “The softer balls really impact my performance.”

Additionally, Michael Jurasic, also a WJPS senior, said “The softer balls are stupid. I can’t hit the ball and have it go the right way because they are deflated and don’t have the air pressure to perform the same way a hard ball does.” 

While the net is a temporary fix, the school should invest in a stronger material for the ceiling tiles instead of the brittle foam that easily breaks or shifts upon impact.