Oakdale High students, staff construct new school's ‘culture'
Although Linganore students have inhabited its halls for the past two years, Oakdale High School has some new occupants who are trying their best to make the building feel like their own.
A bear is now painted on the gymnasium floor, a poster welcoming students hangs in the main hall and a school store brimming with "Bear Wear" tempts students with lanyards and T-shirts decorated in the school's colors of black, white and silver.
Oakdale High's first sports teams are starting to practice and club sign-up sheets have been posted in the cafeteria.
"The whole idea is to get kids involved," Seaton said.
Erica Buls, a 15-year-old sophomore at Oakdale, was in the building as a Linganore freshman last year.
"We actually get to start something new," she said while taking a break from volleyball practice last week. "We get to be the first ones to do it," she added, noting that her varsity team will play the first games and set the first records for the school.
The school is offering some varsity-level sports based on the talent level of the underclassmen who expressed interest last year, Seaton said. But some programs, such as football, will only play a junior varsity schedule.
"It's our house now," said Ashley Jensen, a 14-year-old freshman, who is also on the volleyball team. "I like how we're the ones starting the tradition," she added.
There are also perks on the olfactory side of things. "The locker rooms aren't smelly yet," Jensen said with an appreciative grin.
While sports are a vital part of any high school's identity, so are the performing arts programs, Seaton said.
"[Students] are really excited and eager to see what's going to happen," said Jessica Parsley, the performing arts department chair. She said students started inquiring about the fall play on the very first day of school.
"It's all about firsts," said Alison Hulihan, who teaches music and dance and also fielded questions from students who were eager to get involved. "I love it."
While hand-selecting staff for the school, Seaton was "really looking for people who could do more than one job," he said. Many teachers, including Hulihan and Parsley, will also lead afterschool clubs and programs.
In addition to sports teams, a marching band and a drama program, the school will host more than two dozen clubs, Seaton said.
Paul Lamendola, the father of sophomore Joe Laemendola, said his son would have attended Urbana High School if not for the Oakdale redistricting. Oakdale will draw all students from Oakdale Middle and a percentage of students from Gov. Thomas Johnson Middle.
While he was opposed to the change at first, the "full community effort" on behalf of the school to construct a unique culture for Oakdale students and the fact that his son has already made new friends through football, changed his mind.
"Anytime you pull your child from an environment that they're comfortable with, it's stressful," he said. [But] I give the kids a lot of credit ...t hey're the ones that have made it successful. They've come together and just made friends."
Other parents agree.
"She's already been at the school so much over the summer that she sort of already had a comfort level," said Stacey Pisarski of her 14-year-old daughter, Jaclyn Pisarski. Jaclyn, a freshman, plays soccer and practiced with the team in the summer.
"It was good to know people before going into the school because it was easier to get along with people and I wasn't sitting alone at the lunch table," Jaclyn said. As for being a member of the first team that will ever play soccer for Oakdale, "It makes me feel kind of special," she said.
Seaton is confident that the students will continue to form bonds as the year continues.
"If you have the right combination of people you could have a great school in a tent," Seaton said. While everyone seems pleased with the state-of-the-art facility, "it's not just bricks and mortar, it's about people."
cpomeroy@gazette.net
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