From late July to early August, Kerr’s carpet disappeared. Grey and maize blotches of concrete and scraps of coverings were strewn as if a ruthless tornado had whirled through the school. Blue tape secured a boundary to protect people from getting stuck in glue.

For the first time in 20 years, the carpet was getting replaced.

The carpet change was approved as part of a bond election in 2003 and was finally put into action this summer. For two weeks, the workers replaced all the hallways downstairs and upstairs. However, the workers could not change all the carpets at once without moving furniture. Carpet in the centers is expected to be changed either in 2016 or 2018.

When the first day of school arrived, everyone was walking on newer, cleaner and softer carpet. But not everyone noticed.

Senior Usfia Allauddin was oblivious to the carpet change.

“I’ve been here for three years,” she said. “And honestly, I didn’t notice anything. The carpet looks the same.”

Librarian Jean Wu, on the other hand, experienced walking without carpet during the summer.

“I had to walk back and forth, back and forth, on concrete,” she said. “At the end of the week, my knees and feet were hurting.”

Her struggle made her grateful for the carpet change.

“Right now the new carpet makes me feel like I’m 20 years younger or I have brand new shoes on with cushions,” Wu continues. “When I walk on the carpet, it makes me feel like I’m walking on air. It feels so wonderful.”

When Cub Camp occurred on August 8, some of the floors had partially-installed carpet, and that gave the freshmen mixed first impressions of the school.

Freshman Crystal Nguyen was skeptical at first and then relieved knowing that the new carpet was getting installed.

“I thought the school was ratchet and poor,” she said. “This is a school building, there should be carpet. When the juniors told me that the carpet was getting fixed, I was like, ‘Thank God.”

Freshman Luis Reyes saw the carpet change as an effort to improving the school and felt encouraged to attend Kerr.

“[The lack of carpet] makes me think that the school is going to be nicer,” he said, “because getting new carpet means [the school] has enough money to replace the old one. It makes me more ‘into’ going to the school.”

Insignificant or not, the carpet makes a difference.

“See, we don’t appreciate carpet,” Wu said. “When we don’t have it, you’ll know. Right now, I feel springy, springy, springy!”