It’s that time of year again when students frequently request that their teachers move lessons outdoors to enjoy the warm weather. The problem is there’s no place to go instead of in the bleachers or on the grass. Fortunately, a brand new amphitheater is currently being built in the courtyard near the library and is expected to be finished by the start of June.
The basic structure consists of two rows of benches that seat about 30 people and a paved floor; giving it the look of a very miniature Colosseum. So far, the benches have been put in place, but the ground is still unpaved in most areas.
Aside from finishing the main construction, the site will still need a lot of enhancing. Some of the area around the amphitheater will be covered in mulch, and the benches still require trimming. According to social studies teacher John Hawes, the money for the project was a private, but generous gift.
Hawes, who serves as the architect of the project, came up with the idea of building the amphitheater; while science teacher Neal Jarvis is the engineer in charge of the actual construction. “[I have] been running the courtyard for five years, and it’s a pretty place but doesn’t get used much,” Jarvis said.
The goal is to encourage more teachers to bring their kids outdoors and get more people to use the courtyard.The project began in February, “with a ramp down the staircase to move the supplies out,” Hawes said. Actual work began as soon as the weather was warm enough, and there were plenty of volunteer workers to make that possible.
“The primary labor force has been the Science National Honor Society,” Hawes said. “The first day had a large number of athletes, and some kids from key club, Social Studies Honor Society and some getting community service hours for government class.”
A group of no less than about 15 students set to work after school on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
They work on either the amphitheater or general yard work, such as planting vegetables and flowers, watering plants, and pulling weeds in the courtyard. Sometimes students come in on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. “The scope of work is a lot more than we thought it’d be,” Jarvis said.
Students are clearly just as enthusiastic about the project as Hawes and Jarvis are. “Kids get bored in classrooms and the sun makes them feel better and happy; we actually learned that in IB Environmental Systems,” junior Emily Oliver said.
It certainly can be helpful to transfer students to an environment that gives them more inspiration and energy to learn. “Kids are solar powered,” junior Marissa Shartel said.
While recently work has gone smoothly, one of the main problems the group has encountered is the inconvenient weather. “It keeps raining; mud is a difficulty,” Hawes said.
“We can’t work when it’s covered in mud,” Jarvis said. “It’s not fun or productive.”
However, as of late, the rain has subdued enough for the group to make progress.
The amphitheater should be available for use before the end of the school year and classes can use it on a first-come, first-serve basis. There will no doubt be a lot of competition to try out the new and highly anticipated amphitheater once the whole process is complete.
