Heavy Metal

      The halls are empty and the lockers are bare in the summer months at Washington High School, but deep in the basement of the old school, one room remains abuzz.

      Over 20 students per day work out in the school's weight room, with football players bulking up for the fall season, wrestlers laboring to stay in peak condition, and basketball players aiming to keep the Demons on top.

      And now, thanks to the efforts of the high school's Athletic Booster Club, the weight room is looking better than ever, with nine new pieces of weight equipment updating the aging facility.

      The Boosters raised over $15,000 this past school year for the room, purchasing a number of sleek new machines - from a squat press to a cable-crossover to a new set of dumb bells.

      The Boosters themselves contributed about $2,000, while the rest of the money was donated by local businesses and personal contributions from the community.

      Washington athletic director Doug Dunlap said that the improvements will go a long way in promoting fitness among the students and ensuring that the Demons stay competitive in all sports.

      "It's like anything else, you have to keep up with what the trends are," Dunlap said. "This gets us up to date in our weight room. Our facility is not ideal, but this helps tremendously. We felt that we had kids staying away from the weight room because the equipment was so old, and if we hope to have success in our athletics, weight conditioning needs to be a big part of it. It has our coaching staff excited."

      With equipment older than most of the athletes using it, treasurer Tina Thomas spearheaded a Booster Club effort that began last fall to bring the weight room into the modern era. Thomas said that the majority of the donations came in during a three-week period in March, when the Boosters appealed to a number of local businesses for support. The sponsors will be honored on a plaque that will be displayed in the school.