The El Mirador Gymnasium is a place of many wonders for The Gregory School community. From basketball and volleyball games to P.E. classes, or even all-school meetings and events, the gym can do it all for the students and functions as the heart of the school. Recently, this all-important Gregory School landmark underwent some huge renovations.

One of the major renovations was brand new scoreboards for the basketball and volleyball games. Compared to the old ones, they are bigger and brighter, making the games a better experience for both the fans and the players. They also now include a large section for the box score. Here, it shows each player’s kills and aces for volleyball, and each player’s points and rebounds for basketball. 

The weight room has also improved a lot since the renovations began. At first, the weight room was messy and hard to navigate, there was equipment all over the floor and everything was hard to find. But thanks to athletic director Angela Earnhart and a group of students who got together on a few different Fridays to help clean up, the area has been completely transformed. It is tidy, easy to use, and there is so much more space. On top of that, the school used some of its funds to install a new curtain to separate the weight room from the rest of the gym. It brings a huge kick of school spirit to the gym, displaying the words GO HAWKS in large writing. 

The most significant and community-based aspect of the renovations was the rebranding, redecorating, and redesigning of what was previously known as the “war room.” This is a place where teams can meet to discuss tactics or watch film, but it also serves as a space where athletes can study and do homework, either before practice or during a free block. Up until earlier this year, the war room had just a few old chairs, a small wobbly table, and a carpet that was covered in stains. Then, thanks to a generous donation from the Stagg family, a renovation project began. They started by taking out one of the walls to make the room much bigger. Next, they redid the carpeting and installed a brand new T.V. monitor. They brought in new chairs and a new table, which better suited the athletes for their studies, and seated everyone during pre-game meetings. After all of these renovations were completed, the school community started to pitch in. Many athletes contributed to a bulletin board with photos of them and their teammates and a seventh-grade art class created a mural that covered an entire wall. Senior Nick Mojica, who plays soccer, basketball, and volleyball, but is also a talented photographer, did a media day-esque photoshoot with one athlete from each of the sports offered at The Gregory School. He will hang these photos over the stairs that lead up to the room. After all of these changes, it was unrecognizable from the room that it was before, therefore it was only appropriate for the name to be changed as well. After discussing it with some of the athletes, Earnhart decided that it would now be called “The Perch,” and Junior Bobby McMahon made a sign for the door. 

These new renovations brought a completely new feel to the gym, strengthening the heart of the school while making life a little better for the athletes. Generosity, school spirit, and community effort really went a long way in The Gregory School’s latest project.