Gainesville High School - Hurricane Yearbook (Gainesville, FL)

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GAINESVILLE HIGH SCHOOL, 1915 come awakened to the fact that the school question is one of no little im- portance, and now science is playing a great part in this problem. Many architects are making special studies of the school requirements and when a school building is now constructed poorly and not modernly arranged, it reflects greatly on both the architect and the board who hires him. Of course some architects are crooks, there being several bad ones in our own state, and they should be guarded against. They, in their promising and inviting way, walk in on a school board, promise them a beautiful, elaborate building, sometimes twice as much for the money as some other honest and upright architect, who is building to his reputation, and in this way they get the job: but when it is completed a miserable mis- take has been revealed. The building is poorly constructed, made of cheap materials and cannot begin to compare with the pictures and promises of this crooked tramp who poses as an architect, and who has already been paid for the plans and skipped, ready to pounce on some other in- nocent school board, ignorant of his cunning accomplishments. Before an architect is employed he should have plenty of good recommendations, thus assuring without a doubt complete satisfaction. The modern school should be as near fire proof as possible, well lighted, properly ventilated and heated. The majority of states in the Union require in their building laws that fire escapes shall be erected at each end of school buildings which are two or more stories high. Of course the money allowed for a building has con- siderable to do with how fire proof it may be. If the price permits, as much wood work as possible should be done away with, using metal and concrete or brick in its place. Corridors should run the whole length of the building and at each end exits be built either to the ground or to fire escapes, also two flights of stairs, one near each end of the corridor instead of near the center of the building'. No closets should be built under stairs on account of ure starting in the rubbish which collects there. Stairs should not be over six or less than four and a half feet wide, which allows plenty of room for students marching two abreast. Doors should always open out of the school rooms or the building so that in time of panic they can be easily forced open. A room should be lighted from only one side and the desks should be arranged so that the light comes from the left side of the pupilg in this way neither the teacher nor pupils are facing a glaring window light. There is nothing more disagreeable to a teacher or pupils than a cold room to study or recite ing therefore some good heating system should be installed. There are several methods used, one of the best and most com- 13

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GAINESVILLE HIGH SFHOOL, 1915 monly used is the steam heat, steam being conveyed to radiators placed in the different rooms and corridors. These radiators are always placed under a window or near an outside door so that the inrush of air is imme- diately warmed. In some of the better schools wall ventilators are pro- vided which take the foul air up through the wall, also creating a cir- culation of the atmosphere in the room. Much care is being expended on the school building nowadays in re- gards to cleaning and preservation. Preservative oils should be applied to all woodwork once a week: this not only preserves the wood but keeps down the dust and makes cleaning and sweeping easier. Several dillerent mixtures of this oil are in use now, most of them contain a high per cent. of turpentine which is very healthy to breathe. Soap or water should never be put on woodwork in school buildings under any considerationg damp- ness causes growth of germs and also decay. The building should be thor- oughly swept or brushed every day and all trash and garbage collected from building should be incinerated so as to immediately kill germs which are carried about in many ways-as, for example, by flies, mosquitoes and other insects. All toilets and lavatories should be scrubbed and disinfected at least twice per day. Some people may think this is a lot of unnecessary routine work jotted down to fill out the composition, but if you will make our school a few visits you will find every mentioned detail thoroughly carried out. A large, spacious ground is very essential for schools and if graded and parked beautifully is one of its best drawing cards. lt should include basket-ball and tennis courts, foot-ball gridiron, base-ball diamond, and special playground for primary children. The grounds should have plenty of trees for shade and ornamental purposes. As much of the ground as possible should be sodded in grass to keep down dust, one of the best germ carriers known. In respect of buildings and grounds, our Gainesville High School is exceedingly well equipped. We have a large, commodious and comfortable building of modern construction, and our play grounds and athletic field are unequaled in the State, if indeed, in the South. A campus of many acres, shaded by beautiful trees, affords place for tennis and basket-ball courts, and our elegant athletic field just completed, contains an up-to-date race track of five laps, a foot-ball field and base-ball diamond. Our buildings are most carefully kept clean and sanitary, being regu- larly oiled and dusted and swept as modern sanitary methods demand. M. A. TUCKER. 15