Construction Continues to impact gym usage at CCHS

By Alexander Rennick

April 11, 2025

The construction at CCHS came with many changes that impacted our school, specifically the Physical Education department. The construction of the new weight room has also prohibited our teams from having access to the older room since its been stripped of the equipment. This is problematic for spring sports, which are now are underway. This also created confusion with students that had strength and fitness as a class originally not knowing where to go for their class. 

Our physical education coaches were tasked with addressing and dealing with these issues as construction continued. Coach LaPoint expressed that it’s been difficult to adapt to.

“We have construction workers coming in and out. We've had to choose activities we could adapt with,” said Lapoint. 

His reasoning for choosing basketball was that it was easier to move students throughout the gym playing basketball instead of volleyball because of the size of each game. 

It’s also been difficult dealing with extra students in his class that come to use the gym during their study halls . With double classes occasionally occupying the gym due to the construction, the stress had been immense.

“If one of those extra kids gets hurt it becomes our responsibility and we don’t want that to be the case,” said LaPoint.

Associate Principal and administrator Mrs. Judge had also claimed the students coming from study hall are a liability that shouldn’t fall to the P.E. teachers to deal with. On top of that, she claimed that they’ve struggled with dealing with keeping students in classes.

“It’s become so complicated and we just decided we aren’t going to do it this year,” said Judge.

She had also revealed that she didn’t get a specific date for when the construction in the weight room would be completed. It’s been pushed back countless times and at this point she isn’t entirely sure.

Anticipation of our new weight room and other facilities sounds exciting; however, there isn’t a clear date on when they will be finished. Our senior class may not have the opportunity to use the new facilities.

Fellow senior at CCHS Duncan Buff, shared his opinion and reasoning on why students were not allowed to use the gym if they didn’t have a gym class that period.

Buff admitted to using the gym during his 9th period study hall; however, he personally thought it was always a good form of exercise for himself and others. He claimed that it was better to be moving and active instead of sitting in the west wing cafeteria especially when they didn’t have homework.

“We thought we were going to go do something productive and play basketball while promoting physical activity,” said Buff.

Anticipation of our new weight room and other facilities sounds exciting; however, there isn’t a clear date on when they will be finished. Our senior class may not have the opportunity to use the new facilities.