The history of the West Wing
By Marc Sturisky
As Providence Day School goes through an exciting time as a new building is set to debut on campus, the community should remember about how the West Wing and its precedents have hosted years of education.
Many students at Providence Day School have slim knowledge about the West Wing other than the fact that it houses world language, English, history, and global studies classes. They know that soon the West Wing will be replaced by a brand-new building on campus, but students have no idea how long this school has had relocatable classrooms. Surprisingly, trailers have been a part of the school’s structures for most of its existence.
Students were shocked to arrive on campus their first day of school and see trailers located between the Ridenhour Gym and the back drive. In the Providence Day 1988 to ’89 yearbook, the new trailers were called “odd additions to the familiar campus.” They knew there was a new building coming to Providence Day when an unusual “Aux” appeared on their class schedules, but these pupils were thinking of something more permanent.
It was expected the auxiliary classrooms would be a spot no student wanted to take classes; however, this was far from the truth. These classrooms were known for being a quiet spot on campus where students could learn their social studies away from the crowded hallways and classrooms in Providence Hall and the Williams Building. They enjoyed the pleasant atmosphere of carpeted floors, generously sized rooms, and windows that could open to bring in fresh air on a nice day.
Students in 1989 thought that the auxiliary classrooms would be gone after that year, and there would be a long term building to replace it; however, two years later in 1991, a new trailer structure took form on the other side of the back drive, across the street from Ridenhour. This had more classrooms in it, but all rooms were accessible only from the outside.
This new learning spot for students was given the title Relos, short for Relocatable Classrooms. Providence Day’s archivist, Bobbi Hinson, remembered that Gene Bratek, headmaster at the time, was adamant that the Relos will not ever be referred to as trailers because he didn’t want his school known for having them.
Roy Garrison, who arrived at Providence Day in 1983, has taught in numerous buildings on campus. He remembers that when he taught in the Relos, there was a deck outside of each classroom that you would have to use to get to the teacher next door. Garrison points out that this could be a struggle because, “. . . if you had to go outside, the challenge was if it was raining, you would get wet just going down to someone else’s classroom.” He laughed, recalling the inconvenience of getting soaked from having to go outside on a rainy day. Garrison remembers his students having only one bathroom to split among every other student and faculty member who was in the Relos. It was such a problem that Providence Day eventually added another bathroom a little closer to the Ridenhour.
After 15 years of the Relos, in 2007, Providence Day’s relocatable units would be replaced into a new trailer known as the West Wing. According to Hinson, “When they (the Relos) were replaced with the more substantial structure that we have now, the kids really named it the West Wing because it was on the west end of campus.” This name clearly stuck to the community; it is evident by seeing WW on our school schedules.
The name wasn’t the only new thing about the West Wing. Now, it had an internal hallway, male and female restrooms, and more classrooms. This was much more convenient for students and faculty as they could move quickly from class to class in the West Wing without having to go outside just to get to the classroom next door. In addition, the new bathrooms were extremely helpful as students didn’t have to walk to the Ridenhour anymore if the bathroom wait was too long.
Garrison won’t forget how teachers took advantage of the informality of the West Wing. Garrison pointed out that teachers such as Bryan Welsh and Matt Spence have tried things out in their rooms to figure out ways to make life more comfortable for Providence Day students. For example, West Wing classrooms of these two teachers have seen changes in furniture and wall colors to change the tone of their rooms. He believes that the West Wing having its own area on campus and knowing that it’s not a long term building has allowed teachers to do that. This contrasts the Dickson-Hemby Building because unlike the West Wing, guests learning about Providence Day come through the DH and could possibly be intimidated by seeing unique tables and couches in classrooms instead of traditional desks. Garrison also enjoys that teachers can put things up on the walls such as the time line of history that has filled the indoor hallway.
As the West Wing approaches the end to its time on campus, a fresh, new building will house the West Wing’s many classes. Many people are excited that the structure will make classes a shorter walk than the dreaded MAC to West Wing hike, but let’s not forget about how relocatable classrooms have existed for most of Providence Day’s history, and their memories must stay alive.
In the Providence Day 1988 to ’89 yearbook, the new trailers were called “odd additions to the familiar campus.”
This name clearly stuck to the community; it is evident by seeing WW on our school schedules.
Mr. Garrison in the West Wing. He has taught in the auxiliary classrooms, Relos, and West Wing. Image courtesy of M. Sturisky
The current look of the West Wing at Providence Day School.
Image courtesy of M. Sturisky.
The empty interior hallway of the West Wing. All students are busy in their classes. Image courtesy of M. Sturisky
Construction on the auxiliary classrooms before the 1988 school year.
Image courtesy of B. Hinson
COMMUNITY
The Charger, December 2017
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