As South High students returned from their winter break, they were greeted with the front entrance of South High being fenced off, surrounded by men in hard hats. This was the start of a number of construction projects that would be worked on over the course of the year. 

The biggest change at South High is the front entrance. A new “welcome center” is being constructed at the main entrance to the school. 

Assistant Principal Eric Wilhelm said the welcome center has been in Parkway’s plans for several years, in an effort to beef up security at school.

“The welcome center has been scheduled for the last 5 years,” he said. “[It] will help make the school safer and it will be nicer when people come in and out, they don’t have to stand outside.”

The design of the Welcome Center will feature two different sets of doors. Visitors will be able to walk through the first set of doors and then get “buzzed” into the school. 

The welcome center isn’t the only new addition to school, several other projects have been started over the summer and are finally complete. These include a new stairwell at the South Entrance, air conditioning in Gym C, new bleachers in Gym A, and a new coat of asphalt for the parking lots.

While all of those other projects have been completed, Wilhelm said the Welcome Center won’t be completed until November due to delays with rain over the summer.

Many students believe that the Welcome Center is actually a security room. Junior Connor Tober talks about his thoughts.

“It’s a little inconvenient, but I understand why it’s being made. It will help to improve the school security,”he said..

Tober also mentions how he hopes the Welcome Center will be used for its purpose and not just become an inconvenience.

“If it’s used as it’s intended then it will help to improve security for the school and help to make students feel safer,” he said.

Tober gave his thoughts on the other new additions to the school.

“I think that the other changes aren’t very necessary, but they are nice to have,” he said.

The recent changes in the gyms have created a new reality for student-athletes. Swim team member, Imran Kundalic, mentions how the changes have positively affected him.

“After a long day of swimming, I usually have dryland in Gym C. Thanks to the new air conditioning system, I am not struggling to work out and it is easier for me to breathe and have a more effective workout,” he said.

Kundalic brings up how he thinks the money for other projects could have been spent in other areas.

“I think the new bleachers were a waste of money. There are so many more things that we could spend money on, new tiles for the edge of the pool, newly renovated bathrooms, or even use the money to have better food for lunch,” he said.

Kundalic said he thinks these new changes to South will help to create a better school environment.

“This new entrance would create a better flow of students entering the building and it will increase the protection for the students,” he said.