Staff and students adapt to construction
Learning Commons demolition displaces staff, books and students through summer
Construction workers begin the demolition phase of the renovation project in the East Grand Rapids High School Learning Commons. The construction workers have been rigorously working to meet their deadline. The Learning Commons has been currently relocated to the old Athletic Office.
Through the temporary wall covering the Learning Common entrance is a dust filled demolition sight that has shut down the school library’s operations.
To compensate, Hardware Technician Mike Curle and Media Specialist Cathy Szi- van now report to an unconventional domain – the Athletic Office.
The school’s 30,000 books will rest in storage PODS and vacant closets through the duration of construction, set to end by Sep- tember 2016.
Szivan says that Athletic Office shelves are reserved for books students will need this year, while required summer readings are accessible in closets and low-demand volumes are locked away.
Displaced from his typical space, Ath- letic Director Tim Johnston now works from the Guidance Office, while Athletic Secretary Wendi Johnson operates at the front desk of the Main Office. Athletic storage remains behind the former Athletic Office, one space that will survive the construction.
Without available workspace in the Learning Commons, students have less space to congregate during lunch.
“Our main concern is where students will go during lunch or when they really need to study without the [Learning Commons] space available,” Szivan said.
According to Szivan, many of these displaced students have taken to the Guidance Office to complete their work.
But this state of temporary discord hasn’t halted operations completely. The web print- ing system is still available for student use with a wireless printer hooked up in the main hallway.
