Connecting Clarkson Hall to Pressly Hall, the reopening of the new and improved tunnel has been the talk of the school, the old and dirty tunnel having been ready for an update with new construction happening on campus.

The tunnel provides the most efficient way for Middle Schoolers to get to lunch and provides perfect underground cover for rainy or inclement weather. Although demolishing the tunnel altogether would have made construction easier, the administration wanted to keep the tradition that has connected alumni for so long.

The biggest change about the tunnel may not be the structure; it is the same tunnel, still buried in the ground. Instead, the entire landscape around it has changed. Before this year’s construction, the path going to Pressly Hall created a big hill that students often tripped on and hurt themselves. As a result, the construction plan sought to bring the entire quad between Pressly and The Blake Center up to the same level.

The demolition took a whole year, starting in June 2024 and ending in August 2025. The construction team covered the exposed part of the tunnel with dirt; now the whole tunnel is completely submerged underground instead of just a portion of it. To compensate for the lack of natural light and in order to not let students feel claustrophobic, forest wallpapers and bird sounds were added. The wallpapers and motion-activated bird sounds expose students to a sense of natural life.

However, the tunnel still requires some renovations. On the Clarkson Hall side of the tunnel, two doors that say “No entry,” connect to the new building, The Blake Center. In the future, the IT Knowledge Bar will be relocated there.

Overall, the entire project—including the tunnel, The Blake Center, and all new renovations—cost 40.3 million dollars. The tunnel makes up only less than 1% of the cost, about 40,000 dollars. However, Head Of Operations Toni Boyd claimed that the actual cost didn’t mean much when the experience was so enjoyable. “The cost was working with a really great team with great imaginations,” she says.

Most importantly, what do students and faculty think? 7th grader Zikora Perry sums up the generally positive feedback that students and faculty have about the structure and nature of the tunnel. “I like how it’s an easier and faster way to get to lunch, and I love bird sounds,” she says. 

However, not all agree. 7th Grade Boys Grade Chair Robert Cochran doesn’t appreciate the fake nature. “The bird noises are just weird; it’s just a tunnel,” he says. 

Boyd’s tongue-in-cheek response to Cochran’s criticism? “He can take the stairs.”