Have you ever wondered what is going on in the auditorium? If so, you’re not the only one; the constant theme of change persists in Eagle Rock. Various projects have been under construction for years. With construction in the auditorium, south gym, and with new desks, and chairs, a flurry of other adjustments will hopefully be coming to our campus! Recently the auditorium has gone from under construction to entering a race of funds.
Construction on the auditorium has recently come to a pause, with an advertisement to the parents, students, and staff of Eagle Rock High school. The goal is 180,000 dollars, and so far 10% of their goal has been achieved, this is all for a few projects in our auditorium. But the high price raises more questions than answers. One major question is, why did we need this construction in the first place? Our school was selected by LAUSD to do seismic fitting to make our campus more resistant to earthquakes. The original plan is to put our previous auditorium chairs back in, but the art department and PTSA has come up with a plan; to crowd fundraise for adjustments to the auditorium. This fundraising campaign is for new auditorium chairs, but the other goal includes 50,000 for a new marque. Possibly to encourage donations whichever class ends up donating the most will receive a plaque dedicated to their class. This caused a spark in donations with the seventh grade followed by the eighth grade in donations. The construction is expected to finish during the second semester, be prepared to see class of 2025 on a plaque.
Clubs and organizations have come together to help support this fundraiser as well, with both the Associated Student Body, and Band raising funds for these new upgrades. Band even hosted a 24 hour fundraiser which had varied success. Many students are hopeful to see a new auditorium. Although this excitement for the new upgrades isn’t shared by everyone, as some students don’t like the idea of paying for their own chairs. Some students find the adjustments unnecessary, unachievable, and frankly many students want their just an auditorium for concerts, dean talks, and plays.
When I first encountered a poster advertising for this fundraiser I examined and quickly was felt annoyed. I thought “Why would they ask us for money when they're the ones who started the construction?” I held this view for some time, encouraged by rumors and other distrustful students. After seeing the effort put in by our students, staff and parents to achieve change in a positive way in our campus. This led me to realize this campaign shows more purpose than I initially presumed. There is a lot of value to helping our school and community for the purpose of having a more beautiful campus. As a public school, it is important that we help when we can, because improving our school improves our community.