By Satvika Ananth
Staff Writer
As students entered on the first day of school, they noticed more than just new clothes, books and shoes – CHS has been given a physical and policy makeover.
One of the most noticeable changes to the school is the auditorium entrance. The entry area has been expanded to make foot traffic flow more smoothly. New doors that don’t stick have also been installed, in hopes the area will be less noisy.
“The new doors look really nice and it’s great to not hear the squeaks anymore,” senior Drew Hasson said.
Students may have noticed the water fountains are a little harder to reach now – all the fountains have been replaced and lowered, in order to be compliant with the American Disability Association standards.
The recarpeting which began in summer 2008 was finished this year, making the floors a subtle navy blue. Additionally, several parts of the school have been repainted to add some brightness to the walls.
“This campus is over 20 years old so the water fountains were not as efficient and we were wasting energy,” Principal Brad Hunt said. “These changes are helping to improve the overall safety and beauty of the building.”
Hunt is also happy that the school is moving into the 21st century, with a virtual lab, more lenient cell phone policy and an updated PA system.
The virtual lab, located in C101, is an online learning center in which students can take classes which are otherwise not offered at CHS in order to fulfill their requirements. Several languages classes, ranging from German to Latin, are available through the popular Rosetta Stone computer program.
“This program is a great way for students to learn outside of the classroom, but outside of the school,” Social Studies department chair Valerie Garnier said. “They are self-paced with recommended guides to help them keep on track.”
The PA system, which used to be unreliable and difficult to hear, has been replaced with a newer model. Administrators hope the new system produces better sound quality, making the announcements less of a guessing game for students. Additionally, the system includes an iPod docking station, which gives faculty the opportunity to play a larger variety of music during passing periods.
“The music is better, because at the end of last year they weren’t even playing any. I like to listen to it to get pumped up for class,” senior Elisa Farrell said. “The bell system is not as [easy to hear] as the previous bell, though.”
The administration is still working out the kinks in the new bell system, hoping the sound will be louder and lower pitched.
The most exciting change for many students is the new cell phone policy. Students are now allowed to use cell phones inside the building during passing periods and at lunch. They are also allowed to use texting for assignments and listen to iPods during class at the teachers’ digression.
“We are giving this new thing to students, giving them more options, and if they are abused, we will pull them back,” Hunt said.
Students are generally excited about this new policy, but there are some mixed feelings.
“People are taking advantage of being able to use [cell phones] in the hallways, but many still use them in class,” Farrell said. “I’m worried that it will be more dangerous with people walking and texting.”
In the auditorium and lecture hall, new seats have been installed, and several broken lights have been replaced. The stairwells have been replaced with new rungs which will not chip.
When using laptops, students and teachers will have an easier time getting online with the new wireless connections that have been installed. The spaceship-esque modules on the ceilings of several halls are responsible for the increased connectivity at CHS.
Most of the money for these numerous changes came from either the previous bond approved by the community, or the new bond approved recently, which allocates the money very specifically for certain changes.
“No money had to be re-allocated from sports or other groups at the school to make room for the changes,” Hunt said. “This is one of our steps into the 21st century, and hopefully we will see more changes soon.”
For more information about CHS policy changes, click here.
