Central High School practiced locking down Thursday during second block, the first lock-down drill since the new additions have been occupied. That added space means security and administrators have to patrol and check quite a bit more square footage than they have in the past, but they seemed to do well with it, as Mr. Seales was able to report that, “with very few exceptions, the hallways were cleared, rooms were locked, lights were off, and students were quiet.” A few teachers reported that upperclassmen seemed more prepared to embrace the lock-down ambiance, falling almost instantly asleep rather than turning to their neighbor to chat. Perhaps that is the upside to the windowless rooms in the main building.

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To Kill a Mockingbird opened Thursday evening, the first show in the new, big, amazingly magnificent and stupendously phenomenal theatre.Local news outlets were on hand to grab interviews and capture the scene. You can see the KOTA story, which interviewed Mr. Speck and Spencer Gerdes, or the Fox News story, which includes footage of the show and another interview with Mr. Speck. Shows continue through Saturday night and with all those new seats, tickets are still available, so don’t miss out!

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Thursday night Central hosted the second round of parent-teacher conferences. The turnout was down from the first night, as usual, but the 286 families did mark a 77-family down turn from last year’s second round as well. Perhaps, suggested one teacher in jest, we need to fail more students so we can draw their parents to conferences? Well, perhaps not.

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The volleyball team lost to a tough Stevens squad Tuesday night and have to travel to Huron Friday for one last chance to make the state tournament. If they do win they’ll be the de facto home team for every game at state, since the tournament is being hosted by Central next week. During that time the state activities association gets supreme control over the east and southeast sections of the school, transplanting phys ed classes and the JROTC students. Early in the week Mr. Talley plans to break the news to students that a few of their most cherished parking spaces will not be available on Thursday and Friday, but the overall benefit to the school will be significant, as the Cobbler activities get to keep the profits made from selling concessions and programs.

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Of course the big news of the week was the re-election of President Obama to the White House. While Mitt Romney easily won the electoral votes for South Dakota’s real election, it might not have been as easy for him if the freshmen at Central High School were old enough to vote (and registered). Social studies classes in the freshman wing held a mock-election late last week and 61% of those 492 voters chose the Obama/Biden ticket. Party affiliations were not strong, however, as 64% of those same voters chose to send Republican Kristi Noem back to Washington DC to represent the state. So just like in real life, apparently, teenagers seem to agree with their elders about half the time.

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Finally, this week’s tile update is not news to anyone who came to conferences. The tiling crew has finished the area east of the art department and has moved to the area across from the commons. Most of the week appeared to be devoted to leveling the concrete but when the crew left Thursday a few tiles had been laid.