Winterboro gets a gem of a gym
The Daily Home Oct 07, 2010

Gym classes at Winterboro High School are a lot more comfortable these days, thanks to a $350,000 renovation that was completed a few weeks ago.

The gymnasium, although not as old as the original school building finished in 1936, was badly in need of refurbishment. The original hardwood floor had been covered with interlocking plastic tiles, and both were removed. The bleachers, installed in 1969, had long since ceased to expand and contract, so some years ago they were welded in place, fully expanded. And air conditioning during crowded basketball and volleyball games? Forget it.

All that's now in the past. The new hardwood floor gleams with the school's logo and Bulldogs mascot painted in blue and white. New paint, new tile in the lobby and a new sound system add to the enjoyment of the gym, but can you guess what the most treasured renovation is?

It's the air conditioner. "This time of the year for the physical education students, it was bad," said Principal Craig Bates. "Schools used to not be air-conditioned. But if you're accustomed to that kind of creature comfort, it's hard to go from having it to not, so it was pretty rough."

Now we don't want to make any disparaging comparisons about kids today and how rough their grandparents had it. After all, a lot of those grandparents will be sitting in the stands for home basketball and volleyball games, and maybe even graduation exercises, and they'll be enjoying that new air conditioning just as much as the young ones.

Read more: The Daily Home - Winterboro gets a gem of a gym