If you have a class around the Planetarium Courtyard this semester, you are probably aware. Starting for the 2022-23 school year, ETHS decided to get roosters for Urban Agriculture. 

There’s been a lot of hate surrounding the roosters and how their perpetual “crowing” is a major distraction in class. Before a few weeks ago, despite having a class that is right next to where the roosters are, , I had no knowledge of the roosters’ existence. But since finding out about them, I can’t stop hearing them. Suddenly, I unknowingly became a part of a group of people at ETHS that are annoyed by the roosters.

I personally notice the roosters crowing and will listen and not keep working on whatever when I hear the noise,  which can be annoying, because then I don’t get my work done. In part, I’m being distracted because I still find the roosters new and odd to have at school. 

Recently, in my AP Language and Composition class, one of many classes that feature anti-rooster sentiment, we talked about what we would name the roosters if we could give them names. My teacher, Mr. Belgrade, said that some teachers decided to call them “Screamy.” A few students in my class decided on “Dinner, Lunch, Lunchable,” which might be a little offensive to vegetarians. My friend and junior Esteve Lerga said, “We should take the roosters to create more spicy chicken sandwiches,”  which I could understand, because they’re always running out of spicy chicken sandwiches in the cafeterias.  

I’m always in class just hearing the roosters and never seeing them or interacting with them but in Urban Agriculture they get to do more than hear them while trying to do math.

“Personally, I don’t find the roosters distracting; they are more of a background noise than anything. The first time I heard them, I thought it was someone’s alarm,” says senior Britza Ruiz. “We are somewhat able to engage with the roosters.The other day in class someone brought blueberries so we could give them some.” 

This reminds me of last year, in the fall, when you could eat in the planetarium with the tutorises but not feed them. Now, this year, we can’t eat there anymore, and the roosters took over. 

“They are just annoying,” junior Erin Doherty says. “I think the only reason they are not wanted is because they could be seen as a distraction but the roosters don’t do their thing as often as one may think during an 80 minute period they might do it one to three times.”  I feel like it really depends, because some days the roosters will barely make noise during my class and then another day they could be cooing for a long period of time. I think everyone has their own opinions of the roosters and I can’t wait to see how the year goes on with them. 

While some people find the roosters endearing, or at the very least not annoying, I personally find the roosters to be extremely distracting. Every time I hear their crows, I am unable to complete my work. It will be interesting to see if, over time, people come around to liking the roosters, and they become a fixture of ETHS culture, or if the amount of people frustrated with them grows.