Something unique about Etowah High School is the two separate campuses students must walk between each day. The bigger campus is referred to as “main” while the smaller campus is called “east.” It can be pleasant to get some time outside in between classes when it is sunny and warm, but many students have complained that the campus is quite a chore when the weather becomes an enemy.
Etowah’s campus was originally built around 100 years ago to herd cattle, which is why Etowah has two separate buildings. Now that students are the ones roaming back and forth, the weather issue is only highlighted with Georgia’s climate. Georgia ranks number seven on the United States rainiest states, with major storms occurring every year.
“[The campus] sucks; I walk into class, and every seat is wet. I have never felt more gross,” Lucas Derkly, freshman, said.
It can be argued that there is already a covered path; however, the problem is that Etowah has 2,500 students. There are too many people to walk comfortably, and even so, the path does not cover multiple areas, making it so students will get wet one way or another. One obvious solution is umbrellas, but even when students remember to bring them, they walk indoors with them and end up soaking their surroundings.
“Can they do something [about our outdoor campus]? It really does not seem that hard,” Brian Kirk, junior, said.
Another solution is to use tarps. These could hang high above students and cover more of the walkway. The staff could even rebuild the walkway to be wider, letting the growing student body walk comfortably under them. This is just an idea, though; students simply want to bring more attention to it in the hope that real changes can be made.
“I would love if they could get tarps, but it is a little too late now in senior year,” Julia Garcia, senior, said.
For now, umbrella up, bring your jacket, and prepare to get soaked.
