If you were sitting in the Wahlert gymnasium during Ash Wednesday mass, you were probably wondering where the booming noises were coming from. No, there were not giants playing basketball on the roof. Like most of the strange noises you’ve been hearing for the past year, it was coming from the construction workers.

Right now, construction is being done on the roof to insert a new water draining system. A fire code approved sprinkler system is being installed into the main gym, and the skylights that were put in the gym many years ago are finally being filled in. New heating and cooling systems are also being placed in the main gymnasium.

Workers are busy renovating the west wing of the third floor in the same way that they did to the east wing. On the ground floor, the ceiling was torn out in the wrestling room and the music hallway to update plumbing. Principal Ron Meyers and Coach Joel Allen agreed to leave the exposed pipes in the wrestling room because it makes the space feel larger.

It seems like the construction has been going on for awhile now, and people are beginning to think it will never end. Good news: Mr. Meyers says the work is about 50 percent completed and should be wrapped up by November of next year.

There will be many more big changes to come for Wahlert’s facelift. With so many changes in the past year, many visitors and alumni don’t recognize many parts of the building, and soon students won’t recognize the place either.

New changes to the building in the coming year are very extensive. Changes will include a completely different cafeteria-look, a new trophy case in the lobby, new floors, ceilings, and paint in the main first floor hallway.

Principal Ron Meyers says, “It’ll look crazy different after summer vacation.” He continues, “When people come in, they’re going to say ‘wow!’”