The outdoor gazebo and courtyard has the potential to be one of the most beautiful and tranquil sites at Eastern High School, so why is it often pushed aside by students and teachers? 

  On a calm day in September, when the leaves are just beginning to change colors, with the golden sun shining high and a light breeze blowing, the gazebo and courtyard area would be a wonderful place to study or eat lunch. The airplanes fly high overhead, the birds chirp quietly as they awaken and get ready to begin their day– but only a few stop by the courtyard, so they don’t realize it.

  In entering the gazebo and courtyard area, the welcoming sign reads: “The Gazebo and Courtyard are designed to be used for thinking, studying and remembering.” Leafy greenery and flowers line the area. At first glance, it is beautiful and peaceful.  

  However, in looking closer, empty Low-Fat Chocolate Milk cartons pollute the area. Instead of in the waste and recycling cans, the trash lies in the courtyard. Several planting pots sit completely empty, wishing to have flowers grown in them. Words are etched into the stones and the wood from the gazebo. In the corner lies an empty bird feeding fountain, no running water, no food for the birds who chirp so beautifully for us to hear.  

  Why is such a tranquil area, designed for the wellness of students, polluted and unmanaged? 

  Inside this courtyard lies much symbolism about the school which it inhabits. The nature surrounding the area holds meaning, whether it was meant to or not. 

  In a sea of leafy green trees and bushes, an auburn brownish tree stands tall, directly behind the gazebo. This natural scene symbolizes the similarities and differences of the students that attend Eastern. Both types of trees are trees, but it’s their differences that sets them apart and makes them special in their own way. This is true about the students of Eastern too; all students are students and attend the same school everyday, but they are all different in an exuberant amount of ways.

  The flowers blooming in the courtyard could be seen to represent the students at Eastern also. The students that attend Eastern are all growing, changing and working to better themselves everyday; the blooming flowers in the courtyard are growing and changing as well. Everyday these flowers are working towards a common goal, to blossom. Everyday they get a little closer to their goal. 

  Lastly, the trash in the courtyard can represent the potential of everyone and everything. While right now the courtyard is polluted and has empty planting pots, it has so much potential to be beautiful. Underneath all the unkempt qualities is an idea. An idea of an outside area to provide students a place to study and socialize, accompanied by the alluring nature surrounding the area. 

  The next time you pass the courtyard and gazebo, take a minute to appreciate the gazebo. Observe and understand the potential of the area, and recognize the symbolism hidden all throughout the courtyard.