Campus Changes

Do you Pres girls have a keen eye for detail?  Over the summer, Presentation has undergone quite a few changes on campus that both improve our school and aid us in our need for more land.

This year, Presentation made a new purchase– the temporarily renamed Green House across the street.  While not actually a green house for plants, this new house joins the Jenvey House as another addition to our school.  The Green House greatly aids our need for more room as Presentation, due to its location, is land-locked and attempts to expand are very limited. 

According to the Vice Principal of Student Activities Mrs. Hernandez, the Green House was purchased from a man who had been residing there for 70 years.  Living there for his entire life, he eventually came to the point where he couldn’t live alone and offered it to Presentation.  The house is in excellent quality due to its good structure; however, it is rundown.  It is currently being renovated and will be painted a new color that conforms to the neighborhood’s character.  Completion is expected sometime in February of next year, and its new use is still a mystery.  See our accompanying editorial for speculations on the possibilities.

Aside from the Green House, Room 14 has new black carpets that were put in over the summer, updating what had previously been stained carpet more than a decade old.  The major tech update this year is the removal of all the TVs on campus.  The TVs, which were also relics from the 90’s, have been donated to various people.  Replacing the TVs are screens and projectors intended to update and simplify everything into one unit screen as opposed to various ones.  Previously, the television feed ran on the TV screens.  Now, however, the television feed will play on to the projector screen instead of the old TV screens.

Good  news for all you CEO-ers!  Mr. Crary of CEO has finally said goodbye to his reception room office and has moved into much more comfortable quarters in the South wing near the library.  What had originally been about one third of our Vice Principal of Academics Mrs. Edson’s office was partitioned off to provide Mr. Crary with his very own office.  His new office provides many benefits, one of which includes much needed privacy.  “It makes it easier for me to communicate with students.  They feel they can discuss their college major and potential career questions without distractions,” said Mr. Crary.

Funded from the operations budget this year were brand new kitchen utilities that include new stoves, ovens, a hood and a warming unit.  These new utilities have replaced the originals which have been around for an amazing 47 years since the school’s opening in 1962.

In attempts to expand the newly restriped and renumbered parking lot, 15 new parking spots have been added.  Faculty parking spots were narrowed to provide room, and although they do seem rather small, they are up to legal code. 

The athletic and training offices have been revamped this year, undergoing significant upgrades.  See our article in the sports section for more details.

Home Green Home

This year Presentation has a new addition to the campus.  The Green House, as it is currently being called, is next to the Jenvey house—which the school also owns—and directly faces the front of the school.  It will soon be under construction.

“We’re just waiting for a building permit to remodel, which is pending approval with the city [of San Jose],” said Principal Mary Miler.  Until the permit is approved, Pres is allowed to clean up the inside and outside of the house, both of which are in process.

The Green House, which should be ready in early spring of 2010, is expected to be used by the members of the development office, which is now located across the hall from Ms. Schrader and Mrs. Taylor.  The vacated space, will most likely be converted into a counseling center for both class-level and college counselors, according to Miller. 

This consolidation is much needed for a number of reasons.  First, students sometimes wander around campus lost, unable to find their counselors, who are in four different locations.  Second, with the counselors in the same office, they can collaborate better, ensuring that students aren’t falling through the cracks.  Finally, that room has a kitchen, which means that students stressed out about life or college will have access to food, and who doesn’t want that?

According to Miller, the new counseling space will also allow for studying and tutoring, which is a good idea, particularly if Academic Dean Rosemarie Healy is relocated to that space.  Oddly enough, the space will also become home to Jazz Band and Choir Director Jerry Lovejoy.  While the combination of choir and counseling is somewhat jarring, it does at least free up Lovejoy’s current room—102—for more classroom space.  Air conditioned classroom space, which is much appreciated by students and teachers alike. 

While all these changes will certainly be positive ones for our school, some students are sure to be disappointed that the new house is not being turned into a student center.  Yes, there’s the center, but it’s not exactly a place to relax.

Insurance and security problems wouldn’t allow for the new house to be used as a student center, said Miller, who added that the city of San Jose would never allow a permit if students were off campus without proper supervision.  She did say, however, that a student center is something that is being considered, and may become a reality at some point in the future.  The key is to continue buying real estate in the neighborhood in order to free up more space on campus.

The new addition is going to be well-received no matter what.  Using the Green House as offices will in turn relive the stress of tight spaces for both teachers and students.