• Senior project allows students to leave artistic mark on school

    ca1817If you look up at the night sky on June 1, the stars will appear to be in a different alignment than they are on any other day. That’s the same night as Bellefonte Area High School graduation. But that constellation will be recreated in a picture drawn by senior Ryan Houser on a ceiling tile as part of a larger project for upcoming graduates.

    Social studies teacher Ally Durney began the project last year with the Class of 2017 to help make sure students literally left their mark on the school. For $6, seniors can purchase a ceiling tile, and paint an administrative-approved drawing of their choice that will be installed on the ceiling of the high school.

    “My hope is that A) kids can have some kind of personal relation with the school, because it’s their school, and B) they can kind of invest in our environment under Schoolwide (Positive Behavior Support program)," Durney said. “My goal is in a decade, all of our tiles will have permanent art."

    Durney spearheaded the idea last year from inspiration from an Advanced Placement World History class she teaches.

    “I figure it could be done as a bonus if kids wanted to paint some aspect of history and I could have it all over my room,” she said. “Then it turned into, ‘hey, let’s do this as a class,’ and got an overwhelming response.”

    Students have until May 21 to turn in a design that can be approved by administrators. On May 29, those painted ceiling tiles will be installed on the ceiling of the high school. So far, 14 students have committed to the project this year with designs that include quotes, original art and more.

    *By Brit Milazzo, public relations director, BASD