As many of you may know, I have been writing building updates as our beautiful Grace Hopper Center has been rising. Although this year is coming to an end, the building isn’t, and it is only rising higher from here. What started as a dispatch that was laid brick by brick into what we have today: an incredible, multi-story building.
The Whiting-Turner team has come so far within the past year and is only getting started. Now that the structure is nearly complete, they are ready to get moving on all the other good stuff that comes along with our school.
This article is unlike any other in this mini series because it comes with information from an exclusive interview with ACC’s principal, Ms. Chung. As someone who is so involved in important decisions, she provided great insight on progress and upcoming steps.
Describing the structure that’s coming up, Ms. Chung shared that the back part of the building facing Seventh Street is almost complete, but the section we see from ACC’s main entrance is not. This area needed excavation before cornerstones were laid and concrete poured, which wasn’t an easy job. However, this construction team didn’t let a problem like that deter them. They have pushed forward and planned steadily to keep this project on track.
When asked about how the building process, Ms. Chung said, “It’s very complex how they have to set things up before actually starting specific parts of the build.” Although you may not see much going on, every boom and crack and pounding noise you hear while writing your English essay is all for a reason.
The ACC staff and students have immersed themselves in this incredible process. Our carpentry students take monthly tours of the site to learn about all the work that goes into the building, and Ms. Chung, along with plenty of students and staff, has greatly enjoyed watching this vision come to life before our eyes.
Ms. Chung recalled, “Once they got all the main structures up, it just went so quickly, and it’s been amazing to watch. You see so many people working on different parts of the building at the same time.” It’s very encouraging to see that the face of our school is so integrated into our future.
My reports this year have been about cement, cranes, and dirt, and although it’s pretty awesome that all of that will be our school soon, we’re also wondering how we will make this building ours. Many of my peers, as well as myself, have expressed concern about having a hard time transitioning our Arlington Tech culture and energy.
One of the biggest parts of ACC culture is our favorite game in the box, four square. If you have spent any time in the box at all, you will know what this is. A fan favorite among students (and not so much among teachers) is exactly how it sounds: four squares, guard your square, and don’t let the ball bounce twice in yours. Although it seems innocent, this simple game has led to year-long rivalries and multiple teachers coming near unannounced and being met with a ball whizzing past their head. This game is a huge part of who we are and has been confirmed to have a home in the Grace-Hopper gym!
Another piece of our culture is our mini library that many students reside in for a place of peace. In our new building, we’ll have an expanded library with an extreme surplus of books. It will be home to a calm aroma and plenty of comfortable seating to choose from. But that’s not what really makes our library special; that’s why I’m incredibly happy to inform you that our wonderful librarian, Ms. Alexander, is coming along with us. I know many of you will be very happy to know this, and so am I.
