During the summer of 2023, the Glenbard North fieldhouse will undergo construction to update the interior and exterior surfaces, and change the color scheme to give the fieldhouse a fresh look.  

The process started with the athletic director at Glenbard North Matthew Bowser and the director of grounds Eric Johansen; they worked with the school’s architects and district office to figure out how they were going to approach this project. The fieldhouse is used almost every single day for many sports and activities, as a result over time the surfaces have become worn. The construction is set to start May 17, and they are hoping to finish by the start of the 2023/2024 school year. The fieldhouse was last updated between 10 and 11 years ago, so the renovation is needed. The new material will be more costly, however the material is supposed to be able to last longer. Bowser states, “We can get 15 to 18 years out of it if we take care of it and maintain it properly.” 

One of the main reasons why the fieldhouse is being changed is that there is going to be new material that the track and gym floor is made out of. The material that is going to be used is called Mondo, a vulcanized rubber that is one of the most popular materials used for tracks. Glenbard North Athletic Director Matthew Bowser says, “which would be to like, if you went to Wheaton North and their fieldhouse or Batavia.” There are many schools that have gotten a Mondo track in the DKC conference and other surrounding conferences. According to Bowser, Mondo tracks are long lasting and have physical benefits to people who use the track.

Adding to the reasons why the fieldhouse is being updated is the color of the floor is being changed. The current color of the track is gray and the gym floor is a wood color. Assistant Principal of Operations Eric Johansen spoke about the change to the color. “We are changing the color scheme to give the Fieldhouse a fresh look,” says Johansen. “Mr. Bowser and our coaches worked very hard to ensure that every line for different competitions is correct.” Johansen believes that with the help of the coaches and other administrators that they can develop an area that looks good aesthetically while being useful to all athletes or students that use the area

“The material that we’re using is a more expensive,” says Bowser, and many have been left wondering if the money going into the changes is worth it. Hector Moncada, Jr., ‘23, talked about how he feels about the changes as a student who doesn’t participate in any athletics, “I think that the money could go towards other necessities such as making the classrooms better with adding more windows and especially the hallways with the lockers. But if the fieldhouse needs to be renovated, then it should be.” 

When Bowser was asked how he feels about the money going into the new fieldhouse, he said it was just time. “It’s definitely time you know, it’s just in terms of rotation, maintaining things, making sure that you’re providing an adequate and safe environment for the kids,” Bowser said. To sum everything up, the fieldhouse has not been updated for a long time, so people believe that the changes will benefit all students.