Changes to Capital High School
Capital High School’s first principal, Larry Norwood, poses with Capital’s former principal, Chris Woods.
November 30, 2016
Capital High School has been a phenomenal high school throughout the 41 years it has been in Olympia. Capital treats its students with the respect they deserve and most of the students give their loyalty back. The school has been through a lot since it’s opening in 1975, such as remodeling or when the roof collapsed in 2008. Yet the structure of the build- ing is gorgeous, but there is problems with it as well.
On the outside of the high school, there is very unique architecture. Michelle Anderson, the assistant principal of Capital, describes the building as, “That was the construction in the 70s. We have requested to remove that sighting it’s called marble crete because you can’t clean it and it looks so filthy all the time. This was really common in the 70s when they built high schools. Timberline high school had similar stuff as well before they remodeled. This is what they call California style, is a flat roof and really open. There was no internal hallways between the pods you had to go outside to get from one pod to next. Which would be great if we had weather like California.” David Johnston just said, “The pod rooms were smaller and you could hear everything in the room next to you.” As you can see, Capital has always had a unique building style, but it definitely attracts the eye.
There has been many students that have been in and out of Capital throughout the years and you think has the attitude of students changed? Well Johnston says, “Nope, kids are kids.” Teachers on the other hand, have. Johnston also says that, “Teachers are being encouraged to be more technocratic in work. There’s less room for creative teaching now.” It is important though, to note how teachers and discipline has changed. Such as the school is no longer an open campus, teachers aren’t as creative in their personal teaching style, and dress code isn’t as pushed as it used to be.
Capital High School has had a lot of change, but it is still the same school as it was in 1975. Now, it is just a shell around what it used to be, and has aged into a lovely, open-armed school.
