“A morning-glory at my windows satisfies me more than the metaphysics of books.” – Walt Whitman.
At Roxbury High School, the dialogue surrounding our windows, or lack thereof, has been ongoing since the school’s establishment in 1972. The December edition of the school paper from that same year pointed out that “the building was almost completely devoid of windows.”
Happy 53rd anniversary! With the cycle of the seasons, the Roxbury Review has recently come out with its 2025 Winter edition. During this time of year, especially, the RHS Student Body, still “devoid” of windows, returns to the same thought as half a century ago; illustrated by one 3-star review of the school on Niche, “The building is a cinder block with no windows. In the winter, it gets really depressing.”
It is important to consider a prevalent type of depression, called Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), brought on by seasonal patterns. Reduced sunlight in the winter can cause, for one, Vitamin D deficiency.
The body produces vitamin D, a key role in serotonin production, when exposed to sunlight on the skin. Thus, symptoms of fatigue, irritability and low mood among those experiencing SAD are often brought on by the shorter days.
In the case of a student at Roxbury, these waning daylight hours are more or less nonexistent, especially for those who stay for sports or extracurriculars.
“It’s dark outside when I walk into homeroom at 7:30, and also when I leave rehearsal at 5:30,” says Kai Adams, a student in the RHS Theater program. “It feels like the day never began. It gets me drowsy and unmotivated.”
As Adams highlights, the sun rises and sets completely unbeknownst to him behind those thick, windowless walls.
Bear in mind that these teenagers are already at odds with depressive symptoms due to ubiquitous stressors like schoolwork, college applications, social and family life, etc. They become tenfold more susceptible to experiencing SAD when all of their school day is spent in classrooms illuminated only by artificial fluorescent lights.
Credited studies on teenagers identified with SAD found patterns in reported symptoms like “feel worst”, “least energy”, and “socialize least”. When you see a sleepy kid, wired on Celsius with their hood up or head down in class, suspect that SAD may be at play.
In similar studies, natural light has been shown to help students focus, increase motivation, enhance creativity, and improve test scores. Clinical websites unanimously list “light therapy” as a primary treatment for SAD. There are two ways to approach light therapy: purchasing a sunlight-mimicking LED light or simply sitting near a sunny window.
“Here comes the sun,” says George Harrison.
When first designing Roxbury High School, the district had to consider the severe oil shortages and inflated gas prices of the 1970s. Omitting windows to conserve heat and energy was the logical choice. You can read up more on this here. (Naturally, the answers Gardner collected were subject to who he asked.)
The principal, arguably more informed on the operational realities, raised the point of resources and finances. Installing windows would be “expensive and impractical for the structural integrity.” On the other hand, students, being the main clients of the school layout and, by my examination, the most susceptible group to SAD symptoms, advocated for windows. So did multiple faculty members.
So, in closing, this is a matter of two valid priorities: the weighing of well-being vs. cost constraints, if the funds are worth the potential benefits of naturally-lit classrooms. To revisit the question that Gardner posed, a poll asking your opinion is put below. Is installing windows in RHS worth the investment? Food for thought.
