On Aug. 17, Mount Pleasant City Works started work on removing the stop signs on Hawk Boulevard or 700 South, just three days before school started for NS. They also changed the speed limit on the entire road to 20 mph.

          This affects the whole community, especially NS students, whether they drive to school, walk, or take the bus.            The changes came about because of the death of DJ Farley, who died from injuries after being struck by a car this past May.

          While it may seem like some aren’t in favor of the changes, including the slower speed for the whole road, a survey of more than 200 students shows otherwise.

          More than 75 percent of students indicated that they are happy with the reduced speed and fewer stop signs. Students believe that this will help with many issues on the street.

          But not everyone is on board.

          One student, sophomore Kameron Reynoso, who drives to school and work every day, believes that the road should be 25 mph all the way with the reduced all-way stops.

          Reynoso appreciates the reduced stop signs, he still finds himself stopping where stop signs used to be present.

           "I like fewer stops, but 25, I guess I have mixed feelings about all these changes,” Reynoso said.

          But not all students have the same feelings; some students believe that Hawk Boulevard should remain unchanged.

          Senior Emma Westlund believes 700 South should stay the same with a 25 mph speed limit and more all-way stops. 

          Westlund believes that more stops would create a more alert environment, requiring drivers to watch the road more diligently.   

          “Slowing us down won’t help. If we just move the crosswalk to an actual intersection, it would solve the problem,” Westlund said.

          No matter the place, time, or circumstance, people all have different thoughts and opinions on the changes to our Hawk Boulevard. Some think we need fewer stop signs, and others think it was fine the way before.

          Due to this division, Vice Principal Bryan Holder shared the real reasons for the changes.

          “The biggest thing was the accident we had last year.” Holder said. 

          Mt. Pleasant City had received other complaints related to 700 South, and the accident just pushed the city to make the change. The school tried to help by creating an official drop-off zone in the faculty parking lot. 

          Holder stated during an interview “This is just a change for now.” Meaning that this is a test period to see if these changes will help, and if they do not, the city will meet with NSHS and reevaluate the changes.

          These changes were made for the community to use during this test period. “For the safety of our students,” Holder said.