Tiger Patio to be renovated during break

By Brandon Yung

Staff Writer

The Tiger Patio will soon undergo a major renovation that has been planned for two years. The project is set to begin during Thanksgiving Break. The $166,575 venture will give a comprehensive facelift to the current patch of dirt that occupies the center of

campus. The plan includes the installation of seven new trees, concrete benches, decomposed granite, and artificial turf. ASB announced the plans for the landscape renovation during a pep rally that took place on Friday, November 13. The announcement started with a poem read by ASB Commissioner General Christina Valdivia and Commissioner of  Internal Affairs Kristen Kafkaloff, describing the process and planning of the project. The announcement  then detailed  some of the new features that would be going into the upcoming renovation.

EasyTurf, the company which recently completed a landscaping project at the

middle school, will be working on the Tiger Patio. The new patio will prioritize water conservation in its design.

The Tiger Patio’s turf will use sand  instead of the black crumb rubber that the football field uses. The sand alternative will allow students to eat on the turf and keep the lawn from overheating. The seven new trees and concrete tables will also line the renovated Patio. Senior class advisor Mr. James Jontz also announced during the senior class meeting that he was hoping to provide power access and outlets at each of the tables.

“I’m extremely pleased and excited that this project is coming to fruition, because for over a year, faculty, administrators, students, and professionals have been working extremely hard to see the Tiger Patio project through,” former Commissioner of Internal Affairs  Kira Gabriel said.

The renovation will be the first major change to the Patio since 2000, when the campus was rebuilt. The renovation was conceptualized by the Class of 2015. Headed by Gabriel, the plans for the renovation went through over a year of revisions before being finalized. The project was eventually delayed, preventing the Class of 2015 from seeing the improved Patio.

The funds for the project stem primarily from a $100,000 SPHS Verizon grant that is supplemented by $10,000 from the Class of 2015’s gift.

“I think it’s something for us to cherish and enjoy and protect,” Principal Janet Anderson said. “It’s really exciting that we’re finally going to get something happening.”