Any returning students or faculty that walk into the Randolph Campus gym immediately notice something is different. The space transformed over the summer. Both the large and small gyms underwent many renovations. The maintenance team and contractors repaired, installed, and upgraded, giving the gym a face-lift for the start of the 2013 school year.

A construction company refinished the floors and walls to update the gym. Long overdue, the floors in the small gym were sanded, redone, and repainted. “That hadn’t been done in 30 or 40 years so it really made a dramatic difference and lightened up the whole space,” Director of Athletics Peter Sawkins said. The insulation and duct work was completed.

Other changes focused on making the gym more aesthetically pleasing. New, clear plastic backboards took the place of the old metal ones. A big Spartan head with SPA was painted on the south side of the gym. New conference foe signs hang on the north bridge wall.

One of the most significant changes is the purchase of a brand new scoreboard. The new board “has all the details for basketball for the players and the points and how many fouls they have,” Sawkins said.

Future renovations might include hanging championship banners that list the conference and state accomplishments of the different sports.

Along with the new physical changes to the school come more opportunities for students to use the gym during school hours.

“Being a basketball player, it’s nice to get a couple shots up during the day, especially when I have a couple minutes here and there open in my schedule,” sophomore Kent Hanson said.

Open gym time is not just for athletes; students may be playing an organized sport or walking while socializing with friends.

The timing of the new Upper School schedule changed the timing, so open gym had to be adjusted. Students are now able to access the gym multiple times a day. Hours are posted on gym doors, as they may change from week to week.