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BHS considers replacing exercise bars
November 30, 2016
If students show enough interest, BHS could soon be building new exercise bars to replace the ones that were removed last year to make room for storage containers on campus.
Last year, many students were shocked and annoyed when the exercise bars near the track were suddenly ripped out.
“We felt more confused than sad or angry. The bars weren’t just a place for us to work out, but also to hangout with students and with people outside the school,” senior Arturo Molina said.
Junior Oscar Molina added, “The bars became sort of a lifestyle for us. The bars were important to us because they were a way to stay in shape and hang out with friends.”
Many students, the wrestling team, in particular, enjoyed using the bars for their workout routine. Also, PE teacher Mr. Dowd was known to utilize the bars frequently in his classes.
When asked about the subject last year, former Principal Di Yim claimed that she would be willing to pursue building new bars if students displayed significant interest.
Ricky Carrillo, the head of maintenance for the San Mateo Union High School District, went even further last year and stated the new bars were a “100 percent certainty.”
So what is the current status of the bars?
Current principal Paul Belzer has expressed interest in continuing a conversation regarding building new bars.
“I would want to assess the use of the equipment for classroom and/or individual use, cost, and safety.” Mr. Belzer said. Proponents of the bars need to prove that bars could be useful enough for the school.
According to him, obstacles may occur with finding space to put the bars and ensuring they adhere to safety regulations. In order to build bars, the school would have to seek district approval.
“If you think about it, our campus is actually very compact and considerably small,” Mr. Belzer said. It might be hard to find a viable place to put the bars, but one possibility is the empty blacktop area in between the locker rooms or field.
Students who want to see new bars built are encouraged to contact their class representatives or the BHS staff directly.
On the right is an artist’s rendition of what the bars could look like. Because campus space is somewhat limited, there are only a few places bars could be put. The picture on the left depicts the space outside the locker rooms, one of the most likely locations where the bars could be built.
