No Bad Vibes in Building Five
Photo provided by: Porter Huyck
Seniors Keaton Johnson, Joshua Roberts, Arjun Mahamkali, and Rachel Narvaez solve an incomplete puzzle during Fitzgerald’s AP Research class. The goal of the assignment was to show students that their project will have gaps that they need to fill with their own research.
September 23, 2019
There is something exceptionally exciting about the new Building Five. It might simply be a combination of bricks and pipes, but it is a new beginning. The past school year was hectic, but this is the proof that we survived. Maybe I am exaggerating for dramatic effect, but there is something extraordinary about the freshly painted walls and the faint scent of…Home Depot?
Due to the larger hallways, the building has an openness that mirrors a college campus and the large staircase looks like it is straight out of the cafeteria in “High School Musical”. Bright, fresh colors prove that administration stepped out of Brantley’s patriotic comfort zone and the large windows bring in the beautiful 7:00 AM sunlight.
This building has everything we did not know we needed. For instance, every classroom has desks with wheels. So practical, yet so unheard of. Not only is it efficient, it is a great way to incorporate collaboration and group work in the classroom and ensure students are prepared for teamwork in the career world. Not to mention, the technology is much more advanced than teachers were expecting. For example, the flat screen TV’s eliminate the clunky projectors that force students to learn in the dark.
I have heard many complaints about the foot traffic outside of the new Building Five, but the ends justify the means. This problem has a variety of solutions, like walking through the cafeteria or the mulch path next to the doorway, which are only temporary fixes as there should be several paths when the construction is done. If a student is so distraught about being late, they need to take quicker steps. Period. The only people who should be allowed to complain about Building Five are the staff and students who did not have the opportunity to teach/learn in a setting so new and state of the art.
As far as functionality goes, many aspects of the new building make sense. For example, having all of the counselors in one building avoids confusion for new students. I distinctly remember being a freshman roaming around campus like a lost puppy looking for my counselor. Additionally, the idea of having the girls’ and boys’ bathrooms in separate hallways has always perplexed me. Now that they are side-by-side, students do not lose class time having to walk to a different hallway.
As a senior, I have seen some dramatic changes across campus, both good and bad, but Building Five is clearly a step in the right direction. As my overly-enthusiastic friend, Carson Cashion, once said, “In a way, Building Five mirrors life. In a way, it saved me.”
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