Ojai Valley School is nothing short of new developments. In the past few years, half of an entirely new Upper Campus has been built under a sixteen-million-dollar project. One of the biggest upcoming developments is a canopy shade over the Garrett Family Steps, where all-school meetings are held to share news, events, and keep the community connected.
This school year in particular marks the beginning of a new type of expansion. This time, many of the new additions to the OVS campus are being initiated by students who are a part of the Student Body Council. This year’s ASB, in particular, is extremely dedicated to the work and has started numerous new ideas and projects.
“I am super excited about the project,” said Student Council President Ben Manning with enthusiasm. “We have gone too long with kids getting super sweaty and hot at nine in the morning.”
All-school meetings, which commence on the Garrett Family Steps, are an opportunity every other day for students and teachers alike to share and talk about current events. Through announcements about everything from sports, to plans for the upcoming weekend, to the theme of this week’s Crazy Friday, the entire school stays united and informed.
However, especially during the earlier months of school, the blazing sun proves to be the biggest antagonist of these meetings, besides the students who show up late because they wanted to grab the all-school snack of the day. Again, according to Ben, “No one likes leaving sweat stains on the Garrett family steps.”
Students say one of the most unfair aspects of the entire situation is that while they are forced to sit up on the steps under the tribulations of the heat, the entire faculty gets the privilege of standing in the shade under the trees and buildings. Numerous students comment on how unfair it can feel. Even one of the faculty members, Fred Alvarez, has empathy for the students under the smoldering heat waves.
At any given all-school meeting, one can view a segregated crowd of teachers and a group of students. However, Mr. Alvarez breaks up those groups and sits high up, staring down at his faculty peers from the perspiring atmosphere of the steps. Mr. Alvarez claims, “I’m not necessarily a man of the people, but I sit out on those steps with those students because I think that’s fair.” He also reports the conditions out there, noting that, “On certain days, we fry out there; it’s hot and intolerable.”
After two years of affliction, the Student Body Council is finally putting the pedal to the metal and making stuff happen. This year, a committee was put together to address and solve this issue after a magnitude of complaints from the entire student body and Mr. Alvarez. Using funds from the ASB account, the committee formulated a proposal for a new shade sail to be installed around the Garrett Family Steps.
As of now, the project’s full approval from the Head of School is pending. However, if approved, the maintenance staff at Upper Campus–among the many other things they have to do–pledged ambition and hard work to put this project into action.
The significance of installing a canopy over the Garrett Steps might be more than the outside impression of simply saving a couple of students’ foreheads from getting moist due to the flaming UV rays. Mr. Alvarez comments, “It [the heat] sadly makes you not want to be there.” The Student Body Council will not be putting their dollars to waste because the shade sail will overall up the enthusiasm of the meetings, and it will be a more enjoyable experience to actually be there.
Get excited, as the installation of the sunshade will provide an improved quality of student life! The project is expected to be completed by the end of the next school year and will positively impact future years of students to come.