The Oshkosh West Index - California school blueprint myth busted

Volume 106, Issue 4

Online Features

California school blueprint myth busted

By Leah Dittberner and Taylor Kaspar
posted January 23, 2010

Upon entering the building for the first time, generations of freshmen have been overwhelmed by West's abnormal layout. The multitude of courtyards and expanse of hallways lined with windows have led to students formulating their own conjectures for the school's architectural oddities. Amidst all the speculation, one theory seems to have trumped the rest. The idea that West's blueprints were switched with plans intended for a school in California has passed down through cycles of students who have walked West's outlandishly sunlit hallways. As witnesses of the legend, we have climbed the ladder out of the murky pool of rumor in an attempt to shed the light of truth on the fable that has transcended decades.

For our first step in the investigation, we ventured into the realm of the central office, the omniscient epicenter through which all word of mouth eventually passes. We were surprised to find that familiarity with this particular bit of lore was scarce.

"I hadn't heard the rumor, but when I did, part of me considered if it was possible because some of the aspects make sense," said Principal Peter Cernohous.

Cernohous asserts that, although the layout is peculiar, it was in style during the time period in which it was chosen.

"The blueprints weren't necessarily switched; this was just a popular design during the 60's because it was cheaper to build a one story building," he said.

Janitor Robert Spanbauer also disputes the rumor.

"I don't think they were switched. I think the school board at the time had several choices to choose from, and I think they just chose this particular design," he said.

Despite this blow to the rumor's validity, junior Michael Jarocki asserts that the tale that has echoed throughout West's halls for years is factual.

"From what I've heard, somehow the blueprints got mixed up with a California school, so a school in California was built as a two story school, and we have this flat, one story building," he said.

Our inquiries found that many students have heard of the California blueprint rumor over the course of their high school careers.

"I heard it freshman year: a senior told it me," said senior Damian Seckar-Anderson. "We were in a leadership class and Mr. Allen and that kid debated about it."

Seckar-Anderson asserts that, although the rumor has some credible elements to it, it also resembles something of a local urban legend.

"I think the rumor makes sense with the way the school is laid out. It doesn't really make sense for a school in Wisconsin to have all of these courtyards," he said. "It could also just be an old wives tale. Whoever made it up was clever."

Regardless of its origins, the rumor has been a tool to claim fame for the school they attend, according to senior Natalie Schaff.

"I think the Project West people spread that rumor to impress future freshmen," she said.

Whatever the motive, the tale's spread has been rampant. The abnormal layout of the building creates a concrete argument for the truth behind the blueprint story, according to junior Brandon Faust.

"I think the rumor is true because we have a flat roof. People shouldn't have to shovel a Wisconsin school's roof," he said. "If we didn't get our blueprints switched, we would have a slanted roof so the snow would just melt right off."

Jarocki agreed that the school's architecture surely points towards a swap in layouts.

"Considering half of the school year is snowy and cold, why would we have like 700 windows in our school?" he questioned.

Junior Ryan Steffen claims that West's layout must have been switched because of its appearance.

"How many other schools do you see that look like this in the area?" he questioned.

Sophomore Josh Barnett agrees that West stands out from other schools in the district.

"We have a lot more windows here than at North," he said.

Cernohous also commented on the strange amount of windows West's building has.

"Windows have helped alot with lighting during the day. If I were to pick a school based on the building, I would choose one like this because of the windows," he said.

Despite the occasional rays of sunshine the window panes provide, they have their downsides.

"It was originally a cost saving idea because where there were windows, brick and mortar didn't have to be put in," Cernohous said. "A major problem is that this building is about 47 years old or so; and some of those windows are the originals."

The age of the windows is at the root of many minor damages caused to the building throughout the school year, according to Cernohous.

"Once in a while you will see broken windows. People tend to blame horseplay, but sometimes what happens is that when it gets cold outside and someone bumps into a window, it just shatters. The caulk around it doesn't allow it any give because it's hard as a rock," he said.

Spanbauer agreed that although the windows are an attractive feature, they are a major economic downfall.

"Maintenance-wise, the building is pretty nice because we have the tunnels under the school so all of the plumbing is easy to get to," he said. "Energy-wise, it's terrible. This is one of the most energy inefficient buildings in the district, especially because of all of the glass windows in the hallways."

Another quandary caused by the school's layout is the over-crowded, cattle-herding environment in the halls, according to Cernohous.

"Our halls are not wide enough. You could add another good six feet to the hallway," he said.

Spanbauer adds that this problem wouldn't exist if this school was located in an area of warmer climate.

"I know it's definitely a California design because if it were located in California, our hallways with lockers facing windows would be open to the courtyards; there would be no walls there," he said.

This would unleash West's hallway herd into the bliss of being free-range cattle, able to wander through courtyards to the opposite hallway with ease.

According to Cernohous, students generally make a quick adaptation to West's spread out, single storied floor plan.

"Kids do adjust. Some say that because of the distance, maybe we should give them 10 minutes to get to classes. I could give some students 15 minutes and they'd still be late," he said.

Personal experience has led Cernohous to believe that, although a hassle, the school's layout is manageable.

"I've done a study on hall traffic where I followed a kid from the Driver's Ed area all the way to Mrs. Lowe's room during passing time, and it took me about 3 minutes and 47 seconds," he said.

Many students now feel the pangs of having a gaping hole blown into their once credible belief, as shown through senior Kevin Toddish's reaction when we informed him that administrators disowned the rumor.

"I had no idea," he said. "I could have gone my entire high school career without hearing it's not true."

Faust took a more defensive approach when hearing that staff at West denounced the rumor.

"It's a scandal for sure. They don't want to look bad," he said.

When one rumor ends, undoubtedly a new one must be born from its ashes, as shown through Jarocki's speculations.

"Our school is actually built on a military base. There's one right under us and that's why they won't let us go into the tunnels," said Jarocki.

Steffen reclaims that the school's incoherent layout is due to the school board leader of the time.

"The director of the school board at the time was Arnold Schwarzenegger; it says so if you look into the books," he said.

While authoritative figures have essentially eliminated the possibility of a blueprint mishap, many students stand firm in their beliefs and are convinced otherwise. With this investigation, we have uncovered the truth behind the myth, simultaneously unearthing the reality that student word of mouth has enough power to transcend generations. With this we leave it up to both present and future students to decide the fate of the folklore, perhaps providing them with a blank blueprint to write their own tale of West's origin.

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photo by Leah Dittberner

For years, students have questioned why West has courtyards that go unused for the majority of the year

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