By Katie Currie
For the past year, the soundscape of our school has changed from chattering students and slamming lockers, to drilling and hammering as the front of the school has been getting a face lift.
The “Capital Campaign: This Is Our Moment” is the motivation behind the expansion of Littlest Reds and the Wellness Suite, as well as the construction on the Harris Center, Apgar room, Faissler Library, faculty workrooms, main entrance, dance studio and Little Reds playground.
The construction on the Harris Center started in early 2021. It was originally scheduled to be done before the start of the school year. However, the date keeps getting pushed back, first to October 1st, then to October 15th, which has passed without word of completion.
When asked, students and faculty have said they were unsure and confused about the timeline for the construction. “I have no idea when the construction is going to end,” said Kim Wilson, Faissler Library Assistant. Students held similar views, saying “No idea,” when asked what they knew about the timeline. One student, Natalie O'Neill added, “They kinda timed it badly because they said it was gonna be done like, a month ago, and it's not.”
When interviewed on their opinions, students have agreed that construction has impacted their school life. O'Neill, a junior who is often in the link, said, “It's hard to get work done because it's really loud.” Students have also lamented having to enter through the athletic complex instead of through the main entrance. Alayna Nwadike commented on the inconvenience, “Walking in I have to go all the way through the athletic center, but my locker is all the way in the art wing.” She continued, “It makes getting to class take longer.”
When these issues were brought up to Caroline Blatti, head of school, she held a similar stance . She said, “We’re all sick of it,” while explaining that working around the construction has been difficult for many. According to Blatti and Seve Padilla, Director of Operations, the delay was expected due to COVID-19, labor shortages, and supply chain issues.
Blatti talked about how the goal of the construction was to make the entrance have more of a welcoming environment. The idea is to make the front entrance more obvious to visitors by expanding the building upward and making it into a multi-use space.
Overall, the entrance will be more spacious than previously, with an edition of more windows and an added sky light. In addition, stone inside the entrance will create a “blend of the modern and present.” According to Blatti, this will enhance the preexisting foundation of the school rather than entirely change it.
More changes within the entrance include an updated security system, an art gallery wall, and new fish for the koi pond. Additionally, there are plans to provide a space for displaying plaques and digital information for alumni and students to look up awards and school history.
More concerns from students regarding construction are about the school’s spending, Alayna Nwadike also said, “We are wasting too much money on the outward appearance of the school.” Nwadike further elaborated, saying, “There are different places within the school that money should be going towards, like paying faculty and hiring enough faculty.” Concerns over the direction of the budget were discussed by Blatti, who talked about the money raised from the capital campaign going towards multiple projects and places, not only construction.
Kim Wilson, was also interviewed on the impact of construction directly on the library. “Construction to me always means growth and that we need more space to accommodate students...So, I think construction is good,” said Wilson.
When talking specifically about the challenges construction has provided, Wilson said, “It has disrupted the way things normally work and flow in here.” She further elaborated by saying, “They built a new learning resource center, so we've been trying to figure out how to make both those spaces work together.” Despite this challenge, Wilson clarified that the construction has provided minimal difficulty for her and her schedule. “This isn't the first time we’ve had construction in here,” Wilson said, “I just learned to work around it.”
Blatti stated that there will be no more major construction projects going forward, other than possible minor changes, like painting lockers red. Blatti said the campaign’s goal going forward is to focus more on student and development-based projects rather than visual changes. The commencement of the construction, despite not having a concrete date, will likely impact school life. However, it seems that students, administration, and faculty are mutually relieved for the construction to end soon.
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