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December 2, 2009

New "SUB" to open Monday

Student Union Building changing the face of Oak Harbor High School
The most anticipated opening in the three-year overhaul of the Oak Harbor High School campus took place Monday, as wide-eyed students stepped into their new Student Union Building for the first time.

The Student Union Building (or SUB) means big changes for the high school. For the first time in many years, the school will have a usable stage and auditorium, with elevated seating for 500 people on both the main floor and mezzanine levels. When not in use for drama, band, or choir, the seating will fold up bleacher-style and the room will be used for breakfast, lunch and special student events.

"Every year we have award-winning band and choir programs," said Principal Dwight Lundstrom. "Now we'll finally have a place where our musicians and singers can shine under the lights."

With a proper stage and lighting, Lundstrom is also anticipating a resurgence of the drama department. Students and teachers are already working on a production of Stephen Sondheim's "Into the Woods" for later this school year.

The cafeteria will be set up with more stations, allowing students to get through the lunch line quicker. With 1,600 students, that's a major consideration. The kitchen is five times larger than the one currently in use, which will allow for more creative meals, said Food Services Director Ken Harrison.

"It opens up a new world of possibilities," Harrison said. "We're looking at trying some new ideas, like home-style meals or stir fry."

The new building features Wildcat Way, a new entrance for the public attending arts events in the auditorium or athletic events in the fieldhouse or domed gym. Wildcat Way creates a single entrance for public events, allowing much improved safety and security, Lundstrom said.

The hallway leads directly to a revamped field house under the dome. The floor and domed ceiling were completely redone. Walls were built on the north and south sides, turning the circular gym into the more usable rectangle court. The field house now has the traditional full-length basketball court, as well as two side-by-side smaller courts for classroom use and practices.

Behind one of the new walls is the new weight-lifting room, with the old weight room converted to an aerobics exercise room. Behind the other new wall is an athletic training room for physical therapy and medical treatment. NJROTC also has a lot of new space behind the wall for its use.

The second story of the Student Union Building is dedicated mostly to music. It includes the band and choir rooms, as well as several practice rooms, a music library, and storage for all the band equipment.

There is a mezzanine that will be used by seniors during lunch periods and by the public during musical and dramatic performances. Further down the hallway are several classrooms, before the stairs drop students down into A-wing, which is the main academic wing of campus.

The connection to the main academic building is a key element to the modernization for both the safety and oversight of students. The new design reduced the number of entries into the school from more than 70 to about 15.

New administrative offices are also part of the construction, creating an obvious and welcoming entrance for parents and other visitors. This provides another level of security, allowing high school staff to monitor all the comings and goings of students and visitors.

The Student Union Building creates a large opening into the center campus area. Students pass through an open-door entrance directly into the campus, which now has new sidewalks, lighting, picnic tables, and many large concrete sitting steps for students. Hundreds of plants and trees make the area feel like a college campus, Lundstrom said. "This might be the most popular part of the construction so far," he said. "With the sunny days we've been having, students absolutely love to sit out here and eat lunch."

The high school is undergoing a $74 million modernization, with upgrades throughout the campus. In addition to the Student Union Building, components of the modernization include:

The newly constructed Career, Arts, and Technical (CAT) Center, featuring modern automotive, welding, and construction shops, engineering, video production and Wildcat TV, graphic design and photography, pottery, metal design, and art.
The completely modernized B-wing, now known as the Sciences and Math Education Building. The building has widened hallways, modern science labs, and high-tech wiring.
New bleachers in the gymnasium, capable of holding 1,700 students for assemblies.
The renovated domed field house, weight-lifting room, and classrooms.
The completely landscaped campus.
Resurfaced student and public parking areas, with new lighting.

Still to come are:

The modernization of A-wing and library.
The renovation of outdoor athletic facilities, including the baseball field, practice fields, and tennis courts.

Combined with the new stadium, finished in 2007, the entire 40-acre campus will have been redone.