An important space within this school, and any school for that matter, is the auditorium. It’s used for many purposes: performances, assemblies, and cultural events. Needless to say, this space plays an important role at our school. However, for students and staff who use the space, the Lewis Auditorium comes with lots of issues and frustrations, ranging from cramped seating to outdated architectural design and equipment.
A large issue with this space is funnily enough, it’s lack of space. For those who don’t know, John R. Lewis High School, formerly known as Lee High School, was built in 1958. So 67 years after its opening, it’s safe to say that our school’s original floorplan was never meant to serve the purposes that the auditorium serves today.
English teacher Chris Ingram notes, “There is not enough seating to accommodate the entire student body.” Ingram said.
This was shown during our International Night (I-Night) last year, when staff had to set up extra seating in our Auxiliary Gym and stream the event from there. Meanwhile, the auditorium had reached full-seating capacity and audience goers lined the wooden-paneled walls.
The stage itself is sufficient for most events, but for larger events, it has its limits. Lewis alum (class of 2024) Jason Rivas noticed the space limitations throughout his time acting in Lewis Theater productions. “The limited space is too much of a crutch to put on any bigger productions,” Rivas said.
This opinion is backed up by performing arts and AVID teacher, Ms. Lynch.
“We are the only high school in the county that has this extreme limited square footage to store set pieces, furniture and props,” Lynch said.
I, myself, witnessed this first hand as a theater student. There were many times during performances that I had to squeeze by set pieces and actors–even tripping and hurting myself in the process.
If you’ve ever attended one of our school events or assemblies that held in the auditorium then you already know where this is going: The Lewis Auditorium has uncomfortable seating.
The seats are–simply and bluntly put–trash. They are old, brittle, and crammed together.
Moreover, senior Isaiah Reed has taken notice of the vintage upholstery. “It’s weird and badly textured material, likely because it is so old,” Reed said.
Rivas finds the tight seating arrangement to be problematic. “It makes it awkward to get out of the row for any reason as you are being squeezed by people,” Rivas said.
As if the uses with our space and seating weren’t enough, our auditorium’s technical equipment is just as outdated. Sound design student senior Brianna Smith has encountered the limitations of the auditorium’s current model. “The sound system and speaker are due to an upgrade.”
As a fourth-year Lewis Orchestra student and all state violist, Reed is used to the auditorium sound system’s limitations. His request to improve the auditorium is simple and direct: “Get better sound equipment,” Reed said.
The existing sound system makes it very hard for sound to effectively be heard throughout the whole auditorium, and this makes it difficult for any audience member that sits in the back to fully experience any performance.
So what is the answer to the problem that the auditorium presents? Well, some argue that there is only one real solution: to build an entirely new auditorium.
However this is unrealistic. Ingram points to the practical difficulties of remodeling the auditorium into a useful, more appropriately-sized space through a build-out. “This is impossible in the current footprint because the existing auditorium is surrounded by the school building,” Mr. Ingram said.
According to Ingram, the best alternative solution to this is to add to our school building with a new and improved separate auditorium while then using the existing one for classrooms or as a lecture hall.
Nevertheless, Lewis High school is a school that is deserving of something better. Our performances, concerts, and assemblies should not bring additional burdens to manage through an outdated facility. Trying to make a very outdated space accommodate today’s needs has slowly become impossible. It’s time to make a change and to have our school district and community invest in a renovation to grant our school a performance space that lets our events and celebrations shine.
