There have been some exciting new enhancements around the Holy Trinity campus lately. The demolition of the classic wood and aluminum walkway coverings and the addition of new, sleek metal walkway coverings has brought about some mixed feelings and lots of questions about the construction around the school.
The reason for the new walkway coverings is to tie together the aesthetics of the HT campus. “The idea was just the old ones needed to go because they were so old and the new ones are just going to match the look of the campus since we’ve done some improvements over time,” said Melissa Euizere. The school is in a stage of transition right now, with the addition of the new Ideas Institute. This building brings a new modern architectural style to the school, with black metal contrasting with stark white walls. Most students like the addition of the new walkway coverings, “I think they add a more modern look to the school,” said senior Nicole Stanoch.
The walkway coverings leading from the gym to the Tiger Cafe will also be replaced. This process was more difficult than the other walkway coverings because of the pipes that were located in the old wooden walkway coverings that supplied water to the gym. “When they took that awning down, they had to shut down the water and move the pipes to make it so that the water could still get into the gym,” said Cyndi Buist. This explains the rows of rocks that have been placed for the safety of students, as they are a placeholder for the holes the pipes are in for the moment. With this construction, the vending machines, a popular spot to hang around on campus, were moved. After the walkway is put back up, the pipes will return to the inside of the walkway awnings, and the vending machines will return to their original spot. Along with replacing the old walkway coverings, a new awning will connect the side gym door and the side entry to the Ideas Institute.
With all these new additions, sometimes the construction can get in the way of students’ daily routes around the school. “I didn’t like the fact they had to put up a bunch of gates everywhere,” said sophomore Lilah Crane. “I was nearly late to class.” Many students have also complained about the construction slowing them down on their way to lunch. “You have to go all around the building,” said freshman Noah Garrison. “It takes longer. My food gets cold.”
The walkway coverings aren’t the only thing that has been changing around the campus. With the addition of the Ideas Institute, two tennis courts had to be torn up for construction vehicles to be able to reach the site of the Ideas Institute. Since the completion of the Ideas Institute, those two tennis courts have been replaced. “Once they got redone and looked really nice, we had those four other courts that looked really old. We decided that we probably should redo them all,” said Buist. The restoration of the old tennis courts will be done in time for tennis season. “I’m really excited to play on new ground,” said sophomore Hilary Schumacher.
