Homecoming Week: the Senior Barn, a Living (Sloping) Landmark

Most of the Orcas High School Senior Class in front of their barn.

Each year, the Senior Barn, just before the Fowler’s Corner turn into Eastsound or Crow Valley, bears the mark of the graduating class of Orcas Island High School.

This year’s barn “canvas” shows what education and teamwork can do. The barn design was painted over a period of four sunny days in late August.  The Senior Class President, Sophie Thixton, had started the ball rolling on a class Facebook page, where the students bounced around some ideas.

Mikial Van Marren came up with the idea of the ancient Mayan calendar, depicted on the roof of the barn. Robin Gropp, who researched, drafted and sketched in the design, said, “Supposedly the world ends in 2012 when we graduate, so we thought it would be fun to do something along those lines.”

The Senior Barn, boasting a ferry scene and improvised ancient Mayan calendar

Robin modified the Mayan calendar design of concentric circles, and incorporated a Compass Rose with a Viking face. From idea to rooftop, Robin said, “was sort of a math-y thing.” He printed out the picture of the concentric calendar, then calculated the ratios of how the rings related to each other.

“Then we went up on the roof with strings and pieces of chalk and drew in the enlarged design,” Robin said. The walls of the barn are adorned with the seniors signature, and with a seascape design of a ferry sailing into the sunset, drafted by Sophie Thixton.

Over a period of four days, most of the 21 seniors came out to work on “their” barn. Senior advisor and math teacher Vicki Clancy supervised, along with parent chaperones. On the last day, parent Lynsey Smith organized a picnic for all the seniors to enjoy their work.

Other Homecoming activities take place this week at Orcas High School, culminating in a parade through Eastsound this Friday at 3:15 p.m. following the traditional lip-synch competition, and the Homecoming Football Game against Seattle Lutheran at 1 p.m. on Sautrday, Oct. 15.

(For other sports games this week, go to https://oihssports.olinesports.com/ and select from the sports menu).