Hinsdale South has undergone significant and costly renovations to its building, including a brand new facility for the Hornet swim and dive teams. 

The pool has been under a complete renovation for the past few years and was finished in time for the 2022 season. New features include an aesthetically pleasing deck, large screens for displaying times, and a movable platform to change the length of the lanes.

“It feels so much brighter in there, super nice; the water just seems clearer,” sophomore Andrew Petersen said.

The renovations of both South’s and Central’s pools were necessitated due to problems such as the lack of depth. 

According to a 2016 article in the Patch, Hinsdale South was not able to host dive meets because the pools did not have a safe depth. Each pool that hosted a diving meet had to be at least 12 feet deep; South’s pool was only 10. These conditions forced the Hornets to host diving meets at other schools and rendered our own diving boards useless.

The current pool boasts 12 feet and 6 inches of water under the diving boards, allowing South to host diving competitions without danger.

“A new pool was needed and I think it met our needs very well,” commented senior Andrew Henn.“

Numerous schedule changes were necessitated by the construction. The fall semester began late, shifting dates throughout the year, including a shortened winter break and late finals.

While  alterations to the schedule were a disruption, they allowed for a brand new facility to be built for the swim programs. 

“As a swimmer that got to use the pool I think it was kinda worth it,” senior Henn said. “I think overall there should’ve been a better way to mold the dates.” 

Despite the clouds of dust, noise, and a scheduling debacle that seemed never to go away, South’s swim and dive teams emerged with a beautiful, and functional, area to compete in.