Posted on 02/26/2010 7:55:49 AM PST by RoseyT
The new Hudson High School cafeteria looks more like a college student center with its open seating arrangement, four flat-screen HD televisions mounted on the wall and the sound of music playing over the speakers.
Hudson Independent School District, along with the Lufkin/Angelina County Chamber of Commerce, cut the ribbon on the new facility Thursday morning and then welcomed members of the student council to take a look around.
Students immediately looked at home in their new surroundings.
“We wanted to take the institutionalized look out,” said Julie Wood, director of food services at Hudson ISD.
Giant windows bring in sunlight and high ceilings make the room seem larger. A warm color pallet was chosen to make the cafeteria look more like a restaurant, Wood said.
Hudson ISD superintendent Mary Ann Whiteker said with so much emphasis placed on college readiness across the nation, the new cafeteria lends itself to a more college-like atmosphere.
“Instead of the more traditional concept of schools, we’re opening the world up to them,” Whiteker said. “We want our kids to know that the world is changing, and Hudson is changing with it.”
Hudson High School principal Donny Webb encouraged students to use the facility for more than just eating. Open Wi-Fi connections will allow students to access the Internet on their personal computers or handheld devices, like cell phones. A sound system was installed, as well as iPod docking stations for students to listen to the music they want. Webb said this is a truly “student-friendly” facility and will only serve high schoolers.
“We wanted the kids to have some place that they could be comfortable,” Webb said. “They can do homework in here or have study groups. This isn’t just a cafeteria, but a place to hang out.”
New self-serve options and a pizza line have been added for lunchtime, Wood said.
This project was part of the second phase of construction for the district, paid for by a $12 million bond that passed in 2007 and some reserve funds. J.E. Kingham Construction built the $4 million cafeteria.
“They were phenomenal to work with,” Whiteker said. “We wanted to ensure our taxpayers that they got quality for their money.”
All 700 high school students will tour the cafeteria today before settling into their new facility on Monday for breakfast and lunch.
Good luck in getting them to go to class once lunch is over.
Gosh, I remembered when I went to school to learn reading, writing and arithmetic.
Flat Screen HD TV’s?
It’s just as snazzy as Prison.....
At my kids school they are not allowed to use personal technology during school hours. The teachers don’t even want their phones to be visible or they will be confiscated. And I will be darned if I let my kids take their expensive stuff to school for them to lose.
I thought Hudson High was West Point. LOL
"The hills are alive...with the sound of music..." That must be torture to have to listen to that every day.
Four flat screen TVs will be on using electricity at all times? Do you ever notice that when TVs are on in public places, few people are actually watching them?
Wonder what the carbon footprint of this cafeteria is? Where are the Green Police for this school? Why do the enviro-Nazis never confront the use of the internet and other electronic gadgets as adding to global warming?
In Texas, your school taxes are “shared” by all across the state. Hope they’re enjoying kicking back and watching MTV on my tax dollar while I’m looking in the couch cushions for my kid’s lunch money.
Yep, good question about what they are watching. Will they watching crap on MTV in school? They don’t get enough of that at home?
I thought the article was about the US Military Academy at West Point.
I’m sure they’ll be watching PMSNBC or some equally left leaning network.
I graduated from this school. Of course, that was back in the day when one actually got an education in public school.
I was just telling my 13 year old about the new cafeteria. I kid you not, the first thing she said was “This is the worst time to be spending that kind of money!” How amazing is that? My children make me so proud. :)
So big screen TVs, female teachers banging students, no necessity to actually achieve or learn anything...and here I graduated in 1969!!! I demand a do-over!
Another article without a clue as to where Lufkin is...
The local citizens probably had to vote for the bond issue, so it was voluntary move by the community.
My son went to a public high school sort of like this, not quite as fancy but with a number of amenities that would normally only be seen in a really nice private school. Meanwhile a lot of other schools in the same metro area are falling down.
I thought the cafeteria was just a room to serve basic lunch in... What the heck???
And lest we forget that a good number of students are eating a free lunch there as well..
Lufkin, Texas
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