Samo community gathers for Discovery Building grand opening
Malia Kabwe, Staff Writer
Though occupied since the beginning of the school year, the Discovery Building was officially dedicated in a ribbon-cutting ceremony that brought district personnel and administrators to campus Dec. 7 at 4:00 p.m. for a building tour and celebration.
Samohi pep band members and the Varsity cheerleading team entertained the modest crowd until Junior Class President Jessica Brown (’23) and ASB Executive Secretary Alani Kanan (’23) began the event by speaking about their excitement for the Discovery building and introducing Chamber Choir who sang “The Star Spangled Banner”.
SMMUSD Superintendent Dr. Ben Drati issued a special welcome and thank you to SMMUSD board members and other district personnel, among them, Board President John Kean, Santa Monica-Malibu California Teachers Association (SMMCTA) Claudia Bautista and Samo Dr. Principal Antonio Shelton. He also expressed his excitement for the new opportunities the building presents, from new classrooms to a roof-top solar farm. State Senator Ben Allen then spoke about how the opportunities provided by the Discovery building will continue the successful legacy of Samo students.
SMMUSD Chief Operations Officer, Carey Upton, came to the stage to discuss that the Discovery building is the first K-12 building with an open plan that can adapt to technological changes in the future. Kean had the final speech and spoke about his support for the Discovery building as well as the plans for new buildings in SMMUSD elementary schools. He explained that the Discovery building shows that the Santa Monica community has prioritized educational spaces for students.
After the speeches, Drati and Shelton simultaneously cut a blue ribbon to culminate the event. Guests were offered a tour of the building guided by ASB members. A virtual tour of the plans for the Exploration building, which was formerly the History building, was also offered. Gail Pinsker, Community and Public Relations Officer, was very involved in the grand opening. Pinsker shared her opinion that the grand opening event is an important celebration for the Samo community working together.
“We worked with ASB and we worked with the Samo administration to celebrate the opening of this amazing facility for current and future Samo students,” Pinsker said.
Principal Antonio Shelton and Superintendent Ben Drati cut the ribbon at the Discovery Building’s grand opening. Left to right: I House Principal Marae Cruce, State Senator Ben Allen, Principal Antonio Shelton, Superintendent Ben Drati, SMMUSD Board President John Kean