Students and faculty are sitting at tables outside hallways, classes are displaced and some are almost empty, and it is a half day. For the first time in school history, the UIL academic district tournament is being hosted on campus.

Debate teacher Tami Parker organized and coordinated the event.

“It seems to be going great,” Parker said. “There have been a few hiccups but for the most part we are doing well.”

Many classes are displaced for the morning, leaving teachers and students in the library or sharing classrooms.

“Lovejoy faculty has been great about being flexible with us and all of that,” Parker said. “So far, so good!”

Senior Anna Libey has been a member of the state qualifying Current Events UIL team for four years.

“Normally we get up at 6 am to get on a bus and drive an hour away,” Libey said. “Honestly I prefer the weekend, because then we all hang out all day, and today we have to go back to class. All the schedules are weird this week.”

Although hosting the event at the high school is a strange new event, it seems to be running smoothly overall. Libey believes that she did just as well in her event as in the past.

“I think it went pretty well,” she said. “We’ve gone to state in the past, so hopefully that happens again.”