SLAS Times Q2 2019-2020 SLAS Times: Fall 2019 | Page 22

Students Ask: Is an Indoor Gym Possible at SLAS?
by Sarah Higashiyama
F
or various reasons, it would be hard for SLAS to der if it would be possible to get a large, indoor gym
have an indoor gym. John Fowles, the English built on campus.
novelist wrote, “We all want things we can’t have.
Being a decent human being is accepting that.”
According to Ms. Charmaine, it’s almost impossible
for SLAS to have an indoor gym because the police
SLAS celebrated its 15th anniversary last year in and neighbors won’t allow the school to build any
2018. The idea of offering to have an indoor gym new buildings on our campus.
was already brought up, said Ms. Charmaine, the PE
teacher and coach of cross country and track and One of the volleyball players in 12th grade, Ruruka
field teams.
Kanesashi, hinted that a new building may not be
necessary: “Covering the top of the court with sheet
The first week in September saw non-stop rain, and or layer can be enough protection from the rain.”
when the weather creates unsafe conditions, PE
class is often cancelled. After school sports teams Students came up with ideas for making an indoor
have the option of cancelling practice or doing drills gym. Not building, but arranging the court already
in the 6th floor gym.
on our campus. They want to cover the top with a
thick plastic layer with bending edges, and they
11th grade Student Nikita Kirzyk said, “It’s uncom- want to build a one meter high concrete wall around
fortable to have PE class in the 6th floor gym since it. Six columns would make the ceiling sturdy.
the room is too small to move around.”
Ms. Charmaine also suggested that the volleyball
The volleyball team, however, cannot practice effec- team can use an indoor gym outside of the school.
tively in the 6th-floor gym because the ceiling is too Jump 360 has a volleyball court, and using the in-
low for the sport. For this reason, players often won- door gym from another school may also be possible.