CAMPUS IMPROVEMENTS

Walking around campus, students and faculty may notice some significant differences, thanks to a few key projects that took place during the summer months.

Firstly, our cafeteria has undergone the beginning phases of a full remodel. The dining space hadn’t been updated for quite some time, resulting in the need for significant changes. Now, students and faculty can enjoy a more collegiate-style dining experience, compared to our previous staff-serving model. This has meant reconfiguring the present set-up to move away from the kind of setup in primary schools, to a self-serve system, similar to how post-secondary cafeterias are set up.

“We have such a high percentage of students going on to higher education,” says President Christian Mocek. “It’s important to have them get that taste of college food court style before they go off to college. It’s kind of nice to be able to give them an idea of what college is going to be like when they get to that point.”

This change will facilitate the lunchtime experience for both students and faculty. But there is also a new element of selection for the students.

“Ultimately, it’s to try to create more efficiency for our students so they have more choices, healthier options,” says Director of Finance and Operations Josh Reising.

Along with the new, visible configurations are some other, more hidden upgrades. These include improvements to the dishwashing stations, and additional ovens, and will eventually include a new paint scheme and possible new tables. As this is only the first phase of improvements, there are ongoing talks about other projects to come.

“We’ve got big dreams, especially when it comes to an outdoor dining space,” Mr. Reising says.

The second of our newest upgrades around the campus is an improved walkway connecting the path from Holy Cross Hall to the main school entrance.

“We have a lot of visitors coming back and forth,” says Director of Enrollment and Marketing Brian Heathcott.

With many people making their way back and forth, it is important to have easy, safe access for everyone. It also helps connect the school in a more integrated way and makes for a more comfortable walk on rainy days.

“It’s not that it wasn’t safe previously, but it adds another element to it,” Mr. Reising says. “It’s one of those things that should’ve been there all along. We decided to make it a priority and get it done.”

Finally, the greenery around campus has received a long overdue facelift. We have many species of trees and shrubberies, some of which had become overgrown and needed pruning or removal — in particular, the large pines accentuating the front of our building. Now, when standing across from Reitz, onlookers will have a much better view of the school overall.

“We have such a beautiful school and campus,” Mr. Mocek says. “We wanted to care for the trees we had while also increasing our visibility from the road. The unique architecture of our school building is not something you see everyday. “