Grand Opening of the PAC
The Performing Arts Center is a dream for the fine arts students and teachers for years, and now that it’s open they will have more amazing opportunities.
Combs PAC was built to help students learn better in an educational environment built for the fine art classes. Before the PAC was built, these classes had been in smaller classrooms.
The students had to perform their concerts in the big gym and the dance recitals occurred in another school with an auditorium. The drama department did their improv shows and productions in the library.
Andrea Downing, the dance teacher, struggled rehearsing in the big gym because it wasn’t set up for dance.
“It’s crazy different, it’s a lot easier to teach in the auditorium because it’s set up specifically for dancers,” Downing said.
“The acoustics and the speakers in the gym don’t compare to the auditorium’s sound system,” Downing said.
“My students are super psyched, they love to be in all the time even if they’re performing to empty chairs,” Downing said.
The dancers are very excited about the dance studio and the dressing rooms now that they don’t have to get dressed and ready in the locker rooms.
Nicholas Smith, is also very excited about the new auditorium and glad there will be no more productions put on in the library.
“It’s unreal thinking we used to do our plays in the library,” Smith said.
Smith had no idea what to expect.
“When I walked in for the first time I knew what they had said was absolutely true. It’s something a lot of high schools don’t have, it’s so beautiful,” Smith said.
Another excited teacher benefiting from the PAC is Keith Pennington the director of orchestra, choir, and guitar.
“It’s not a gym, it’s better for music, drama performances, and larger space for dance,” Pennington said.
“I’m not upset about having my own room, I think my room is satisfactory, it’s in very good condition,” Pennington said. “The students deserve the new classrooms. The seniors who’ve been performing in a gym are especially excited.”
The PAC will give Combs High School an advantage at promoting all of our fine arts department.
