As the school year is slowly unfolding, students are getting accustomed to many new changes on our campus. With the new block schedules, friends, and opportunities to get involved, Prep certainly has a vibe that is different from where we left off last spring. However, another huge, huge change is on its way for the student body. Introduced last year, the atrium is currently under construction to create a new student space that contains the Norris Auditorium and the Science Building. As students file up the crowded library staircase on their way to their science or college counseling class, many can’t help but have questions for the exciting new addition to our campus.

The atrium will provide an indoor space in Ahmanson Plaza for students to study and socialize in, fostering the perfect opportunity to utilize our campus’ space for more student interaction and creativity. Headmaster Bachman states, “The school felt that the atrium was an underused resource. We know that students are always looking for spaces where they can meet, study, and visit, and this looked like a perfect opportunity […] to create that space.” Though California does not get the highest rainfall count every year, rainy lunches have been an issue many students faced on grey days.

Max Barak ’20 states, “I think it’s going to be really nice for rainy days. You don’t have to move around a lot [in the rain], and you can find a spot indoors to eat lunch with some friends.” Not only will it be a new space for student interactions, but it can also be another wonderful opportunity to highlight student artwork all year round. With some of the “most perfect light on campus,” to quote Mr. Bradley through Headmaster Bachman, students will be able to put their artworks on display.

Another exciting component is that the atrium will “have the video capacity to see what’s going on on the stage in Norris [Auditorium].” Performances, speakers, and morning meetings will all be able to be broadcasted live without needing to squeeze into a crowded auditorium. With community blocks being a part of our schedule every week, the atrium could potentially serve as a new spot on campus to share that time with peers.

All these new features will be open to us sometime in November. Till then, get ready for all the new opportunities that the atrium will offer!