A Look into the Future Arena
Joshua Kim
The construction workers continue their schedule for building the arena. It is set to be done in 2021 after construction began in Sept. of 2019. “We’re really excited,” principal Amy Boughton said. “Even though we’ve had to wait the longest, it’s going to be the best one out there.”
A new aspect of student and staff life is coming soon. Principal Amy Boughton said she is pleased with news that construction of the new arena is scheduled to be done in February and hopes an opening ceremony will be possible under level orange COVID-19 restrictions.
Boughton said the modern facility will have the latest technology, pops of royal blue and lighted Super Hs. It will feature a four-dimensional score board and sound system.
The exterior will look similar to the current campus, but Boughton said the inside has a whole different sense of modernity and will be state-of the-art. Renderings of the building are on the website. Among the benefits the arena will offer, Boughton believes school spirit will be heightened.
“It really was bothering me my first year when we couldn’t have all the freshman and seniors in the pep rallies,” Boughton said “I’m kind of a school spirit person and I want to see that grow some here, and the only way we could do that was to have a facility like this.”
The process of getting the arena approved was elaborate and extensive. Planning and designing began two years before ground broke on the project. Volleyball coach Karen Keeney and girls basketball coach Lisa Branch were involved in expressing what they said was needed for their sports programs. The arena will hold six basketball courts, three volleyball courts, a 30-yard practice field and a weight room.
“For basketball now in orange [COVID-19] restrictions, we can only sell 600 tickets [for sporting events,]” Boughton said. “We would be able to sell 900 tickets for the arena to get more people into games.”
Currently, when Covid-19 restrictions are not a consideration, only around 200 freshmen can come to pep rallies due to limited seating. With a 2,200 seat capacity, the arena will allow for more students in all grade levels to participate in school activities. With the arena comes the opportunity to expand on events for both the school and the community.
“We’re really hoping that it brings our community together more,” Boughton said. “And that all students feel a sense of connectivity.”
Junior Olivia Yager is a reporter and this is her first year on staff. She enjoys playing volleyball, hanging out with friends, and playing with her dogs.