Letter to the Editor
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Dear Editor,
In the coming days, weeks, and months, a significant amount of not only patience, but also funding is going to be asked of this community. I am writing this today to not only share my support of this project, but to also lend my hand in it. The TCUSD3 school board has authorized the exploration for the design and creation of an auditorium and an athletic complex to be added on to the Taylorville Senior High School. These buildings would be put in place of the current half floor portion and East Gymnasium portion of the high school. These additions are vital to not only the continuation of fine arts and sports, but also bring abundant opportunities for the community. With the addition of the athletic complex, not only would more gymnasium space be added with additional courts, but it would allow for performance training (weightlifting among many other activities) to expand and grow. The additional locker rooms for both male and female athletes would ensure Title IX compliance for all sporting events. The addition of the extra courts and space also allows for a variety of new curricular offerings within the student body itself. The auditorium also brings an abundance of opportunities ranging from musicals to concerts, to community events. At current time, the THS Spring Musical takes place in the old, and dare I say, dilapidated East Gym. Not only is the stage inadequate and poses a danger to students year after year because the wood is splintering and fracturing beneath their feet, but it also prevents the female student body from using the East Gym for P.E. purposes during this time, which is unfair to said students and faculty. Anyone who has attended a musical at the high school can see the pit orchestra and at times can be distracted by the orchestra being visible, taking away from the overall performance of the students. With the new auditorium, not only would this solve all of these issues, but it can also be used for other purposes such as band and jazz band concerts, choral concerts, and even drama performances for students of all ages. This auditorium would be able to be used for speakers and for presentations to the student body throughout the school year. And the auditorium could be used for community events and activities. The addition of the athletics complex and the auditorium would have rippling effects within the community and surrounding communities for generations to come in every single way imaginable. This project will pay back Taylorville ten-fold over the next several years alone by revitalizing the local economy. It is my hope that this community comes together and supports this project as it has for many others before and many more to come. This is about the students and their futures. This is about the community and its future. This is about providing opportunities that many students missed out on before but desperately wished they could have had. We are all in this together, sink or swim. It’s no longer enough to just survive. It’s time for Taylorville to thrive.
Bryce Marsaglia, Taylorville, IL
