The South Building was a major topic of conversation here at State High this year. As time goes on, the South Building has progressively become more worn-down and outdated. From bathroom walls that were written on, to falling apart classrooms, the South Building is not in the condition it was fifty years ago.

Built in 1962, the South Building is one of the oldest facilities in the district. In fact, it still uses the same major mechanical and electrical systems. The building faces many hazardous safety conditions. Some of the issues addressed by the district themselves are: they use the same hot water and steam heating system from when the building was made. Some students and teachers said that after they drank from the water fountains, they end up with a stomach ache for a few hours during the school day. Leslie Powers, a freshman said, “One day I filled up my water bottle at the water fountain. I drank the whole thing and when I went home my stomach was all cramped and I felt really sick. About ten of my friends and one of my teachers have also felt this way before.” Clearly, this was something that affected a number of people. The air conditioning and heat are outdated and repair parts are generally not available. This makes the temperature bipolar and students can not expect what attire to wear in class each day.

During these past two years of construction, many people have worked with the school to ensure everyone’s safety. It is a known fact that construction zones can be unsafe for a number of reasons. This is why State High wanted to make sure that all students and faculty would not be harmed during this cautious time. When the North and South Building were undergoing air testing, many parents were left confused and concerned. Edward Poprik, the districts facilities manager said, “The goal of having the consultants on board and conducting testing was to ensure a healthy environment for our staff and students, as well as to help find solutions if problems were to be discovered.” It seems that this air testing was just a precaution and students should no longer be worried. The south building is still in use for freshman lunch though, so hopefully the air will continue to be tested.

Many teachers have also faced some difficulties with the South Building. There have been a number of claims from not even the South Building but also North Building teachers that they have gotten sick during construction. Ninth grade English teacher, Mrs.Ambrosia said, “I don’t have the scientific data to back my claim, but I do know I was at the doctor’s more in the past two years than in any other years of my teaching career. There are a myriad of of reasons that could be, but I do think quality of air, water, etc. at anyone’s job would impact their health for better or worse.”

I think it is safe to say that most everyone’s experience at the South Building was not a calm one. It was a very interesting facility that was full of new surprises everyday. Whether it was new words written on the girls bathroom stalls or the paint on the walls able to be ripped off, it is a school that will go down in history. One can only help that the South Building does not cause more negative effects as it is still in use by students and lunch ladies. I think we can all agree- what happened in the South building stays in the South building. It is time that we move on and start our new journey in our new building.