Whether waiting for a ride home or enjoying the scenery that surrounds the high school, the Badger blue bench is a friend to many who would like to take a seat and relax. However, students went without a bench at the front of the school the entire first semester because wear and tear ruined it. 

Jan. 3 marked the day a new and safer bench replaced the old one.

“This school opened in 2009,” Principal Joey McQueen said. “In 2010 I was the athletic director, but Mark Kehoe was the principal, and he ordered a bench and a trash can for Lampasas High School down by the student parking lot and down by the student counseling center so we have four benches that the students can use around campus.”

The bench at the front of the school was beginning to rust and once the hazard from skewing metal came forth, McQueen knew there needed to be a fix.

“The old bench had been costumed and had a Badger head on it,” McQueen said. “People had grabbed it and pulled the Badger head out so people couldn’t rest on the bench, so we tried to cut them off so we could still use them. We have used those benches for 13 years, and we just thought if we are replacing one might as well replace them all.”

Many students found the bench at the front of the school a characteristic that should be there.

“I was sad about the bench being gone,” Jakob Jeffries said. “The bench helped me when I needed somewhere to sit after school. I’m glad we have a bench back. It has been here all three years previously and helps, so I’m not sitting on the ground or standing around.”

The high school has been going through many cosmetic upgrades this school year, including the cover for the fence that welcomes people as they drive to the school and the Badger decals on some windows, walls and stairs. 

“Our intent when we started all of these fixings was that this front entrance is used more than any entrance in the whole ISD because we have so many events up here,” McQueen said. “We were going to paint the awning, which we did, to get all the gum removed from the areas around the school, which is better than it was. Then we put up a sign on the door that says ‘Have a Good Day’ to welcome visitors and students . And then we were going to redo the bench and trash can. So, it’s all done now. It’s all complete.”

The new benches are coated with a Hex plastic so they withstand all series of weather. 

“That Hex metal has a plastic coating so it doesn’t hurt your rear,” McQueen said.

The temporary time the high school had without a front bench might have only been one semester, but it was missed. 

“I got in trouble with a parent once when I removed this one first because she said since her kids have been in the 5th grade, twins, they have come up here each year to take a picture by the bench, and I said ‘ooh sorry’ but at least they have a bench out there so they could do that again,” McQueen said.