On the first day of school, students entered the silver box amazed at the newly renovated gym, the Ramdome. While it may look like an easy fix-up, in reality, it took lots of planning, designing, and a vision.

Ari Witkes, the Athletic Director, discussed the details of the renovation in an interview. Because Ramaz’s sports teams are becoming more and more successful, such as Boys Varsity Basketball and Girls Varsity Volleyball, both of which won the championships last year, “The level of the gym needed to match the level of excellence of our teams,” said Witkes. “I wanted to showcase the Ramaz Ram, modernize the court, have big logos, and have a gym that screams Ramaz excellence.”

In regard to the hands-on experience of the renovation, Cito Alicia, a member of the Maintenance Staff, Larry Berman, the Chief Operating Officer at Ramaz, and Michael Wallschlaeger, the Director of Facilities at Ramaz, were present at Ramaz over the summer to oversee the renovation. Witkes, the vision behind the renovation, was constantly updated and kept in the loop.

The Ramdome is still going through a renovation, a process that will most likely span over the course of a few years. Phase one, which was just completed over the summer, consisted of new floors, two new scoreboards, new branded Ramaz wall padding, a new curtain, and a shift in the court so the benches could be on the opposite sides of the gym.

In phase two, Witkes plans to add new retractable baskets and new bleachers to increase seating capacity. Though there is no plan for phase three, Witkes’s dream is to institute an actual media center— as opposed to the makeshift one in the corner of the gym— renovate the locker rooms, and even have a fitness center with weights.

When asked about the benefits of the renovations, Witkes stated the following: “These updates will increase school spirit and provide the students with a sense of pride to represent the Ramdome. I made sure to leave room on the walls for new championship banners, and I want the Ramdome to be a reminder for everyone to appreciate what Ramaz does to always enhance the overall student experience.”