By Brian Yoffe
South Senate received a $2,000 PTSO grant last week to add two new picnic tables outside the arts wing.
The senate originally made the proposal in October 2012 but received the donation as part of the second round of this school year’s PTSO grants.
Earlier this year, the PTSO funded part of a project to add chairs and tables in the auditorium lobby.
Before awarding another grant to Senate, PTSO members said they had to ensure that the student body would take full responsibility for the picnic tables.
“We had to have the administration sign off and say ‘yes we should…fund the picnic tables’,” Nancy Mann, chairwoman of the PTSO grants committee, said.
Every year, the PTSO sets aside $20,000 for grants to improve the school.
“We try to promote innovative uses of PTSO donations towards improving the school community or classroom experience,” Mann said.
Senate’s beautification committee formed the proposal based on the student body’s productive use of the two tables already in place outside the arts wing. Several students said they wanted more seating in that area in addition to the 12 seats already in place.
“We go into advisories…and a lot of students told us that they wanted more seating outside,” sophomore Michelle Bushoy, a member of Senate’s beautification committee, said. “During the summer these two tables get filled up really quickly and they’re small, so a lot of students wanted more area to sit outside.”
The beautification committee also worked with Principal Joel Stembridge to have the grant approved. Both parties said they hope that the tables will benefit student’s comfort and productivity around the school.
“More students will be able to hang out in that area during lunch,” junior Senate president Jack Lovett said. “If it’s a nice day they can go outside and do some homework [there].”
“It will [make] the cafeteria a lot less crowded and easier to sit in,” Bushoy said. “Students will [be] able to sit outside when it’s really nice and warm out. It’s a ‘win win’ situation.”
Stembridge said he believes that the tables will also improve South’s outward appearance and provide students with a more appealing environment to do school work outside.
“I’ve seen students out there during their free blocks, reading or doing some homework or studying,” Stembridge said. “Instead of sitting on the ground or getting wet, [they will have] a nice place [to use]. I’m glad Senate found us two more tables.”
Stembridge also said he hopes to clarify the fact that Senate’s efforts were designed to benefit the student body directly.
“I wanted to make sure students knew this was coming from [other] students, not just something that dropped from above,” Stembridge said.
In addition, Stembridge he hopes that students will respect the new tables and keep the area around them clean.
“I’m interested in the students taking ownership in these tables [and that] they don’t graffiti [or] damage them [and] don’t leave huge amounts of trash out there,” Stembridge said.
Meanwhile, Mann and the PTSO said they are willing to fund additional beautification projects in the future as long as they have sufficient funding.
“It matters how many other people are applying for grants and [which ones] we think [are] most useful to the community at large,” Mann said.
Stembridge said that he would also like to work with and approve similar Senate proposals in the future.
“I’d be happy to [work on similar issues again],” Stembridge said. “[But] It depends on what Senate’s interests are…They may want something else.”
South has not yet hired a company to build and install the tables, but Stembridge said he hopes that they will be in place by the beginning of May.
