As the new school year gets underway, let me first offer a welcome back to everyone on behalf of all of this year’s members of The Rambler. As the new Senior Editor-in-Chief, I’m looking forward to trying to improve The Rambler and make it even better than it was in previous years.
We have a few returning members this year that will help all the new writers learn the ropes of journalism and soon everyone in the class will be publishing content regularly.
There are new faces all around the school, both students and teachers. Prep welcomes new teachers in history, music, English, and Latin. There are also two teachers that joined us during the school year last year and will be teaching their first complete school year at Prep.
The staff of The Rambler and all the students will get to know these new teachers as we start the new year, and they will all be welcomed warmly into the Prep community.
Some areas of the school have a new look as the school year begins. The biggest change is the library that was renovated over the summer. The library went from being a fairly old-looking, boring place that was not exactly conducive for studying, to a newer, more modern space that students actually want to spend time in.
The updated library has several areas devoted to studying and an area that is set up as a pseudo classroom in case teachers want to take their classes there. A lounge area is still in the works, but once it is complete it will be a comfortable area to study with chairs and couches. An area with computers is also being set up and will be a place for students to do research online if they do not want to use their iPad.
The other major renovation Prep is working on is the addition of a gymnasium and aquatics center to the Cathedral Prep Events Center. The groundbreaking for the project was at the end of last school year, and work began over the summer. The project is expected to be complete by September 2015. The Rambler will be covering the construction at the CPEC in a forthcoming article.
Just as we always have, Prep is staying on the cutting edge of technology. It seems like the time has flown by, but the iPad program at Prep is already entering its third year.
Prep has a two-year lease on the iPads, so this year all the students turned in their iPad 3 and received a brand new iPad Air. While there are no extreme changes, the form factor is slightly smaller, and it is nearly half a pound lighter.
Other tech changes around the school include a new computer lab. 32 new computers are now installed and classes like Microstation CAD are already putting them to good use.
The old computer room is undergoing renovations as well, most notably a 90″ television will be installed that could be used for anything from presentations to video conferencing.
To find out even more about the upcoming year I asked the class president of both the senior class, Jack Kelly, and the junior class, Brendan Flanagan, what to look forward to in the coming months.
Both say that they are excited for what this year holds. Each of them are planning fundraisers for their respective classes that will go toward ensuring each class has a healthy bank account for senior year.
“I believe that this specific group of young men currently in Cathedral Prep is capable of exciting, amazing, and brilliant things,” Kelly said, “and I can’t wait to see all of their potential put into action.”
Each of them is excited about the renovations happening in the library and at the events center. “I think our school is going in the right direction to improve our learning,” said Flanagan. He also said the one other major thing that Prep still needs is air conditioning, and that administration is working on that for the future.
From the new teachers to the new iPads to the new library, Prep continues to get better and better. The recent updates will surely make this school year a memorable one, not only for the seniors, but for everyone,
From myself and from the entire staff of The Rambler, we hope everyone has a fantastic start of the year, and we wish them all good luck in the coming months.
