Opinion: The Meaning of a Modern Venice High

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Rah-San Bailey

The new science building on the west side of campus.

The architecture of Venice High School has taken an unfamiliar modern turn, reminiscent of the gentrification afflicting the community around it.

My first thought when laying eyes on it is that it radiates a very dreary vibe. To add insult to injury they’ve taken our beautiful signature Gondo navy blue and switched it out for a dull grey, leaving a lot to be desired from our “new and improved” campus.

The school has been in a state of development since 2016 and the construction zones had a very heavy effect on Venice students’ high school experience, making it a lot more difficult to go from class to class. That being said, having the freedom to maneuver around once again is very refreshing. Most construction is projected to be complete by 2022, with the LAUSD’s Facilities Services Division heading our school’s new sleek design. 

It is not as if this serves as an unwelcome change—to say the school needed some updates would be an understatement. The issue arises when the “new school” doesn’t feel as if it upholds our Gondo Pride. The students, past and present, now have to cope with a strange new world.

Venice High School has changed, drastically. Whether it’s for better or for worse is up to the students and staff to decide. Most importantly, how it looks on the outside is no real reflection of the education you will receive and the relationship to be made.  Even having the freedom to maneuver around the campus once again will be very refreshing. All I hope is that the new look allows people to enjoy their high school experience.