Many students noticed the appearance of a large wooden desk earlier this week at the intersection between the Main Hall and North Hall.

     “We thought we probably need to have a better adult presence in the halls,” Principal Andy Van Fleet said. The desk was added with the intent of providing a place for staff to sit and keep an eye on students and visitors. Van Fleet explained the desk’s twofold purpose: “One is safety and to be inviting for the community; [another] is to make sure kids are where they need to be during class,” Van Fleet said.

     Since the beginning of this school year, the main entrance has been closed off due to construction. Because side entrances became much more commonly used, visitors to Tigard High have been having difficulty finding the main office. “My understanding is that some community members weren’t quite sure where to go, so [the desk] is there to have someone be out in a common place to direct people,” PE teacher John Kemper said.

     Keeping a staff member at the desk also helps to keep watch of students using their hall passes. “Having this kind of 270 degree panoramic view of the halls can help us see if a kid is taking a lap for the third time,” Van Fleet said. He expects that staffing the desk will reduce the number of students who leave class to loiter in the halls.

     The desk, which fits up to a pillar in the main hall, was built by hand by Van Fleet himself in head custodian Gus Jaramillo’s shop in the lower science hall. “It’s pretty much just plywood, composite board, 2×4’s, and some casters,” Van Fleet said. “And clearly, anything Tigard-related, you’ve got to have some Power T’s on, so I got a mini blowtorch and added some texture.” The attention to detail was quite precise, down to the pieces being stained to match the wood paneling in the Main Hall.

     While it is a useful addition to the school and a solution to the issue of visitors getting lost and students misusing hall passes, the desk may only be temporary. “I think it’s a one-year thing until the new office is ready to go,” Kemper said. Until then, Woody is here to stay.