The Cedar Ridge High School cafeteria sound system will receive an upgrade that will give the widely-used space an acoustic boost for students, faculty and district staff.
The current sound system was designed to focus audio attention on the stage area of the cafetorium. With speakers and acoustic setups focused on the front part of the room, people seated in the back of the space had less clarity of sound. The plan to upgrade the system and speakers is part of a $150,000 one-time allocation from Bond 2014.
The Cedar Ridge cafetorium is more than a space for students; it’s a district location that serves the entire Round Rock ISD community. Events like the School Supply Drive, Empty Bowls Festival and staff gatherings such as the World Class Summit have all held in the Cedar Ridge cafetorium. The sound is an important part of all these events, and this new system will provide clear audio for all announcers and presentations.
Cedar Ridge Principal Lynette Thomas sees the audio upgrade as one that is necessary for her students to make the most of their time on campus.
“Although we are a relatively new school, we have already outgrown the sound system which was designed and installed for much simpler needs and a smaller campus,” Thomas said. “The sound system gets used for all of our theatrical productions, choir, orchestra and band concerts, in addition to daily use for meetings, student announcements and outside facility rentals. It really has become a safety issue because the announcements cannot be heard due to the poor quality of the sound system. We are very excited to be receiving the new sound system.”
Theater teacher Kristie Copeland is one of the many Cedar Ridge educators looking forward to the cafetorium audio upgrade. With their musical scheduled to perform in January, she’s thrilled that the new system will be up and running after the winter break for their production of CATS.
“The Cedar Ridge fine arts students work tirelessly preparing for concerts and productions,” said Copeland. The new audio setup will offer audiences the opportunity to enjoy the talents of our students from anywhere in the space. Whether performing in a musical, or a choir or instrumental concert, our students will now be understood and heard by their audiences.”
