Building a Better Ecosystem: Construction at ERHS

by Jacob Bernardino

Construction At ERHS - Eagle Rock High School, a place of joy, a place of productivity, and a place of never ending construction. Nearly every school year, something is being constructed or refurbished on campus. Whether it be the North Gym during the 2017-2018 School year or those creepy restroom bungalow things by the North Gym that no one’s allowed to use, this campus is constantly acting like a moody teenager with low self esteem. This year, the South Gym and Auditorium which are two of the biggest and most important buildings on campus, are shut down for refurbishment. This has caused several issues and setbacks for the students of ERHS. For example, the Homecoming Dance, which is usually held in the South Gym, was forced to be held at a seperate venue this year which was probably for the better if I’m being entirely honest. Another example is Play Productions newest play “Writing A Will Can Be Murder” which was held once again at a seperate venue due to the closure of the auditorium. These closures along with the intense ear-bleeding sound of construction machinery have caused a major inconvenience at ERHS.

Students who have attended ERHS for a while now, know that with every construction project comes the deadly green walls that block our path of life, also known as that little crevasse between the bungalows. Usually these walls signify an unwelcome change in our daily route to each individual period. It can last a week or even a year, however regardless of the amount of time, it still causes a major inconvenience for the students. However, some teachers are also deeply affected by the construction that goes on at campus. For example, all the PE teachers have lost their natural stash of Gatorade with the closure of the South Gym and their individual offices.

Although the majority of construction on campus only lasts about one or two weeks, it still disrupts the natural flow of the Eagle Rock High School ecosystem by causing students and teachers to adapt to a temporary inconvenient way of getting to their respective areas. More often than not, however, the construction helps to beautify the campus and make it look more appealing overall. These infuriating construction projects benefit us in the end and help to make the school a better experience for everyone. While yes, having the North Gym shut down for an entire year was inconvenient to say the least. However, now it looks prettier than it ever has before and will surely serve generations of kids to come. I’m also personally really looking forward to seeing the newly renovated South Gym and Auditorium when it opens back up, both of those buildings were aging and was in dire need of an upgrade. So overall, construction is troubling while it’s in progress, but is extremely beneficial to everyone afterwards, almost like writing for the Eagle’s Scream in a sense!