CVHS undergoes many facility renovations

The upcoming school year welcomes a lot of new changes on school campus, including major renovations to the cafeteria and the annex. Strangers walking into the annex and cafeteria might be impressed by its fresh, newly-painted walls and menus brightly displayed on LCD television screens. But for many of the students and staff members, these resources are undermined by the loss of several signature features of the facility.

Underneath the layers of fresh, white paint on the walls are the elaborate, student-crafted murals that were previously a prominent feature of this space.

Art teacher Jo Sutton taught and worked with many of the students who created these mural projects. “Every mural of my students that they paint over is a heartbreak and a story that is being covered up,” said Sutton.

Many of the changes to the cafeteria area are designed around the opening of several new food locations, such as the Castro Valley Bistro that sells food just outside of the annex.

The idea is that with more places for students to buy food, there will be less traffic and the lines will be more efficient. However, this does not explain the motivation for the new paint on the walls.

Nor does it account for the surprising removal of the games and ping-pong table in the annex. This change, however, is a temporary one, as more updates to the space are expected soon.

“All of the furniture and accoutrement of the annex were removed. None of it has been placed anywhere yet, as plans for the new student union are not finalized,” said Assistant Principal Jesse Hansen.

The annex, also commonly referred to as the Student Union, was originally designed as a comfortable space for students to spend their lunch period. With these ambiguous and incomplete modifications, the whole vision of the space is being put into question again.

Currently, one of the murals still remains on the walls of the Student Union. This work was created by CVHS graduate Ryan Kelder, showcasing his artwork framing the famous poem by Tupac Shakur, “The Rose That Grew From Concrete.”

Sutton spoke highly of this particular work, as well as a piece of graffiti-style art by Kelder that was recently covered up by the fresh paint.

“This brings up the whole question of the purpose of the Student Union. Shouldn’t it be for the students?” said Sutton.

The answer to her question will have to wait until the design of the annex is completed.