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As New Braunfels High School prepares to open Phase 1 of its new campus this January and continues the demolition of the original 1964 building, New Braunfels ISD is taking intentional steps to preserve the memorabilia, traditions, and history that have shaped generations of Unicorns.
A committee was formed and has been meeting in an effort to honor the students, staff, programs and legacy of NBHS, while ensuring that the new facility remains rooted in history to the highest standards to represent Unicorn pride. The committee consists of NBHS current staff members, former staff members, alumni, parents, and NBISD administration center staff and former staff.
Several well-known memorials from the original school will remain front and center in the new building. One of the two portraits of former student Gary Simon will be displayed in a prominent common area in the new campus as it has been in the original building. The other portrait will be placed on display in the athletic fieldhouse along with a portrait of former student, and Unicorn football player, Adam Trollinger. A memorial of Romina Mariagna Sanchez-Stockwell, who was a girls soccer player and Monocera will be placed into an area of the building to be determined, either the dance studio or the girls athletics area. Memorials honoring Shelby Ryan Farnsworth and Fernando Omar Diaz Jr., both of whom were JROTC students, will be preserved in the JROTC area.
The committee also documented 10 painted murals throughout the original building, eight of which will be digitally archived. Two of the murals, painted by Joe J. Arevalo which are located near the current gym, will be preserved and installed near the entrance of the new gym in the new building.
Other notable keepsakes such as the running Unicorn glass that is currently in the commons area in the original building will be relocated to the new building’s main common area. The Unicorn mosaic located at the front entrance to the original building will also be salvaged and placed prominently in the new commons area. Building plaques, non-award team photos, and senior class pictures that can be seen throughout the building will be digitally archived and stored on a publicly accessible district web-page. The senior class pictures will also be removed from their frames and stored in the new library.
To preserve athletic accomplishments, while allowing room for current and future student’s accolades, guidelines have been established for which trophies and team photos will be moved into the new building. Athletic trophies being preserved will be state semifinal and state finalists trophies from the 1960s through the 1990s. For years 2000 and up, regional-level trophies and higher accomplishments will be preserved, while area-level and up from 2010-2015 will also be placed in the new building.
All district championships, playoff qualifiers, and higher-level trophies from 2015 to present will be preserved as well. Team photos if the team was a state qualifier will be preserved regardless of year.
As for band and choir, trophies from the 1960s through 2010s will be kept if the ensembles qualified for area finals, state marching contests, or if included all-state band members. Starting with 2015, all band Sweepstakes awards will be kept along with All-State band member recognitions. Pictures of area finalists or state marching qualifiers will be preserved for all years.Dance and cheer trophies that were earned for state or national championships will also be preserved and displayed in the new building.
Theater awards from the 1960s through the 2000s will be displayed in the new building for regional and state qualifiers as well as all-star cast trophies. Beginning in 2010, area-level and higher achievements will be kept, and from 2015 to present, bi-district achievements and above will be preserved along with all-star cast awards. Team photos from all eras will be retained if the group qualified for Regionals or State. The current-year cast photo will continue to be displayed annually. The committee is also exploring options for a dedicated plaque to list NBHS All-State cast members.
Inside the gym, select banners will be kept if they meet the same achievement standards set for trophies. Banners honoring Coach Clifton Wilkins who accumulated 438 wins with the Unicorns will be preserved along with a banner for Kyle Hittle who played basketball collegiately and professionally in Europe. The committee is looking at ways to offer the scoreboards for auction as well as exploring options for salvaging portions of the gym floor and using center court as an art display in the new gym.
What’s next?
As NBHS transitions into Phase 1 of the new campus, preparations continue for the demolition of the front of the original building. Any items that will not be moved into and/or displayed in the new building will be digitally archived, and offered to the public as keepsakes. Community members will have a final opportunity to tour the original building as well as take a tour of Phase 1 on December 10th at 5:30 p.m.
