[Vision2020] old buildings

[Joan Opyr]

Good points, all, Kai, and very much appreciated.  I was just thinking 
this morning -- Moscow High School was built in 1938.  My 84-year old 
grandmother graduated two years after that from Durham High School in 
1940.  That's a long, long time.  Moscow High was built for "the 
greatest generation," not Generation Y.  When the school opened, they 
were dancing the jitterbug at that first prom.  Then it was on to the 
Bop, the Twist, the Mashed Potato, the Madison, the Hustle, pogo-ing, 
break-dancing, the Vogue, the Boot Scoot Boogie, and now the Blackeyed 
Peas' "My humps, my humps, my humps."  Moscow High School, in its 
present form, has served its purpose -- and served it well -- but it is 
well past its prime.

Taking a leaf from Jack Porter's book, if we can't pass a comprehensive 
all-schools bond, then why focus first on Russell and West Park, both 
elementary schools?  Why not focus first on the high school?  The high 
school kids have a grotesquely inadequate cafeteria -- the thing only 
seats 90 students -- it has poor science labs, a shambles of a music 
room, and a host of other problems.  Our high school students are on 
their way (we hope) to colleges and vocational schools in the immediate 
future.  Wouldn't it make more sense to concentrate on their needs 
first as they are the most pressing?  The University of Idaho has 
consistently been named one of the nation's most-wired campuses.  It 
is, in many ways, state of the art, but the high school from which it 
draws so many of its students is in a state of disrepair and disarray.  
Instead of dropping the high school and the alternative school from 
Jack's "pragmatic" bond, why not drop Russell and West Park?

Yeah, I know.  Throw those rotten tomatoes.  I don't mind; I'm wearing 
a rain coat.

Joan Opyr/Auntie Establishment
www.joanopyr.com

On Mar 31, 2006, at 10:04 AM, Kai Eiselein wrote:

> People need to look at buidings as tools. Like tools buildings wear 
> out. What worked 40, 50 or even 20 years ago may not work now.
> Students need facilities that are condusive to learning in a modern 
> technological enviroment. How many of you remember the "filmstrip"? 
> When was the last time you had a kid tell you he/she watched one at 
> school? Those days are loooong gone my friends, today its powerpoint, 
> video and internet.
> In order to compete on a global scale, we have to give our kids the 
> means to be succesful. Which means we need schools that can grow and 
> adapt to changing technologies, have modern wiring that can handle the 
> increased power loads from computer systems and other power draws, 
> access to high speed internet and remote teching/learning programs and 
> the space for them to learn in an uncrowded environment.
> I understand the sentimental feelings about old schools, I was in the 
> last graduating class out Nogales, Arizona's old high school built 
> about 1901, as I recall. Like Moscow, it was located downtown. Like 
> Moscow, Nogales is only able to grow in three directions because of a 
> border. The new school was built on the outskirts of town, and people 
> complained about how far away it was. No longer. Nogales has grown to 
> the north following the main highway, now the school IS more centrally 
> located in relation to the population. (Hmmmmm, smart planning?)
> Would I have been happy at the (then) new school? Probably not, I 
> rather enjoyed having an open campus and being able to go across the 
> line (border) with my friends, where we would hang out at Olga's Cafe' 
> for lunch, eat the best tacos on the planet, have a couple beers and 
> head back to school. (It WAS the early 80's and the rules were 
> different. I bet Keeley would have done the same, if she had been 60 
> miles closer.<grin>)
> The fact was, the old school was no longer able to serve its purpose. 
> After 80 years, it was time for something new. Part of the old campus 
> was turned into adminstrative offices and part was turned into an 
> alternative high school. (Sound familiar?)
> Moscow is now going through what Nogales went through 25 years ago, 
> maybe people should research what other towns, with similar 
> populations, growth rates and border issues have done.
> Take the best ideas and make a plan for Moscow's schools.