A real time investment: exploring the Cassingham clocktower
As I slowly walked through places never seen before by other students, I quickly realized my worn out UGG boots were not fit for this tour.
I had the opportunity to ask questions about three hidden spaces in the complex: the clocktower, basement and theater catwalk with maintenance staff member Eddie Penner.
To begin the “hidden spaces” tour, Penner scaled a ladder that led to a mysterious trap door in Cassingham Elementary. When he unlocked it, I tried to take a peek at what was behind, but all I could see was a black void. I eagerly awaited my turn to climb up and see where it led.
The ladder took me to a dark and dusty attic. Old desks, chairs, spare tiles and empty boxes were scattered around the room, covered with cobwebs strung across wooden beams.
I turned the corner to see another dark area which seemed to stretch on forever. I eventually stumbled upon something I immediately wished I hadn’t. In the corner, a bare bulb cast a harsh light onto two creepy paper mache creatures, one taller than me and the other barely reaching my knees. I was too disturbed to get
close, but the taller one was coated in bright red paint and the shorter one had pointy, elf-like feet.
After making this haunting discovery, Penner led us to a set of wooden stairs that creaked with every step. At the top was a small room glowing with light: the Cassingham clocktower.
The room barely fit three people, and it was completely bare except for a bright circle glowing above our heads. The intense light exposed dust particles floating in the air. I could see the black Roman numerals surrounding the outside of the clock.
Penner explained Bexley has been renovated several times, but the clock tower is one area that has remained the
same since 1927, making it the most authentic area in the school.
When we were finished observing the clock, we climbed back down the stairs and Penner pointed out a set of rusty gears.
“This is the motor that drives the clock,” he said.
Penner explained they occasionally have to perform maintenance on it.
“We have to adjust the clock twice a year for time changes,” he added.
Without saying goodbye to the unnerving paper mache creatures, we climbed back down the ladder. At the bottom was a crowd of elementary schoolers who bombarded us with questions, reminding me of the interest I have felt for all these years.
From head to toe: venturing into the basement and catwalk
I hesitantly walked down the eerie basement stairwell by the Cassingham Theater. When we reached the bottom, I was pleasantly surprised to see numerous pictures painted on the walls. Each painting was a burst of color against the bland white background. I never would have guessed my high school basement had its own art gallery.
“One of the custodians named Jason Evans painted all those murals,” Penner said.
There was no specific reason for the decoration, he added.
However, I think the paintings on the walls and air vents added a nice touch to the otherwise ordinary basement.
The rest of the basement consisted of endless office supply boxes, fire extinguishers, brooms, shovels and extra whiteboards. A few other objects stood out to me: tarnished sports trophies, a vibrant colored snow cone machine and a box full of differently shaped bubble wands, which reminded me of the ones I used to run around with when I was younger.
Penner led me to another area with abandoned shower heads, bathroom stalls and washing machines.
“This used to be a locker room,” he explained. “It was used by students after gym class or athletes before practice.”
As we left the basement, I imagined all the pep talks and post-win celebrations that took place before it became a storage unit. The basement was full of surprises I would not have expected from the ominous staircase leading to it.
I have always been curious about the behind the scenes action of our high school plays and musicals. During this tour, I got the opportunity to explore the theater catwalk. A steep spiral staircase led us to the top, and an elegant tune flowed through our ears as we climbed. I peered down the balcony and realized the melody was coming from a student’s violin lesson. It was easy to envision all of the other engaging performances that happened here.
Although it was a little messy and unorganized, the catwalk still had many charming aspects like a disco ball, bubble machine and bright green carpet similar to the turf on the football field.
Heat radiated from the bright stage lights lining the catwalk, projecting intense rays onto the stage. Crumpled paper airplanes laid next to my feet, and student signatures were etched into the wooden beams, making it seem like a thespian had some time to kill here. Above my head was an intricate assortment of hanging wires that were the backbone of every play, musical and performance at the high school.
As the end of our tour approached, we headed back down the spiral stairs and into the halls. Knowing I am one of the few who have ventured where no other student has gone made this tour even more interesting and special.
