At the start of the school year the main gym, a once hangout staple during passing periods, suddenly shut down leaving many people without a space to congregate. This seemingly rash decision sparked controversy among the students and staff at West Albany High School. Why did they close the gym? What is causing all the blockage? How does this affect the students at WAHS? What are student and staff opinions on the matter? All of the questions have been answered by members of our WAHS family. WAHS Principal Rich Engel shares his thoughts behind the decision to close the gym as well as his motivations and goals. Morgan Wadlow, business and marketing teacher, shares how she has adapted to the new gym blockage and gives insight into the past “Hang-Out Areas” at WAHS whenever she attended. Finally, senior Erica Hildenbrand shares her student perspective on how the gym blockage has affected her as a student.

WAHS Principle, Rich Engel

“It was probably 2017, the last time the floor was redone, so [it] w[as] in horrible shape.”

“In terms of the gym being shut off, honestly, it that was going to happen either way”

“It’s a classroom, and nobody is cutting through the journalism classroom [C9] to access the parking lot, so we needed to treat it as such.”

WAHS Business and Marketing Teacher, Morgan Wadlow

“The hallway blockage is annoying, as West Albany high school students know because I am always yelling at them”

“It wouldn’t be a problem if people just realized that they can’t go in the gym and stopped hanging out around trying to get in.”

“I think everyone’s really upset that the gym was taken from them, but they need to know that the gym was never student territory in the history of West Albany. It’s never been a hangout space. It’s always been a gym, and it just recently became a hang-out spot.”

WAHS Senior Erica Hilenbrand

“Since freshman year, everyone just ended up in the gym during passing periods. That was the normal meet up area.”

“Since people are used to using the gym all the time, now everything is clogged up in the hallways and I’m always [pushed up] against someone, which is super inconvenient.”

“I understand that they want to keep the gym nice and clean, not scuffing [the floors]. But still, it’s a gym. People are going to run on it anyway. Eventually, they are going to have to redo it.”