Obama at Loudoun County High School Recap

Picture by W. Minton

   Since I wasn't able to attend the Obama rally, I've been digging around for information. Since what Obama said has been covered elsewhere, I'm going to talk about other things. I've got some scoops and my regular nit-picks.

   Apparently, LCHS wasn't the first school asked to host the rally*. I heard Heritage and maybe one other school got asked. It's possible other schools were asked as well. Heritage had to turn it down because it was already booked for Driver License Ceremonies at the time (heard by a friend getting their license at the ceremony from the judge presiding). It would have made sense to be somewhere else. County doesn't have as much space as other schools. Oh well, our gain!

   Also, originally the website had said it would be on the football field. By Tuesday, that had changed to the Front Lawn. The football field probably would've had more capacity, but as I have stated already, LCHS's Front Lawn area is too beautiful a space not to use.

   Since I was on vacation, my mother was on assignment taking pictures.  Below are pictures taken on Tuesday, July 31, the day to get tickets. There were three places to get tickets, one being the school itself. My mom went there.

Getting tickets. July 31, 2012. Photo by W. Minton

July 31, 2012. Photo by W. Minton

   The line went from the front of the school, around the side, then around the back as well. 

The line for tickets. July 31, 2012. Photo by W. Minton

The free ticket. Photo by W. Minton

   At the rally, my mom described the standing conditions as being "packed like sardines." She's also fairly short, so she actually couldn't see that much, at one point getting one of her friends to take photos for her. My mom noted many times when I talked to her how unorganized getting onto the site was. She parked near Catoctin ES, and she waited with a long line of people just a block away from the school. They would not let her line go, even though people on the other entrances were being let in. Eventually, they took her line to the back of the line of people getting in.

Part of the line to get in, and already people are in there.
Photo by W. Minton

Photo by W. Minton

   I loved the bunting and patriotic banners to the LCHS facade. It looked timeless, simple yet effective. It fit the school so nicely.

   (I'd like to take this time to say County's facade is Georgian style architecture. Rarely does anyone get it right. Classical, Jeffersonian and Colonial has been thrown around, but for the record it is Georgian.)

3,200 people on the front lawn. Photo by W. Minton

They had a row of buses end to end on the road in
front of the school, most likely for security reasons.
Photo by W. Minton

Getting pictures of President Obama. Picture by W. Minton

President Obama. Photo by W. Minton

LCHS, the flag, and President Obama. Photo by W. Minton

   If you look carefully at the above picture, there is bunting in the half circle window over the portico! That was a really creative idea.

   Another great thing are the beads, or lack of them. Since May 2010, there was a beaded necklace hung on the 2nd "O" in "Loudoun." It finally came down when they put up the bunting for the rally.

(This particular picture is from June 2010)

   It's a small thing. It's insignificant, but it also should be no deal to take off. I literally went to the school one or two summers ago to tell them there were beads hanging from the letters. It was duly noted, but only until the rally were they taken down. The school system has man lift machines, it is not an impossible task.
 

The beads are gone! August 12, 2012

   I finally got a chance to visit LCHS this weekend. Little evidence was left of the rally. The lawn, though sporting holes from various platforms and seating, is very green.

   There's only one big thing, and I was pretty sure if anything was left up, it would be this.

   Yes, the half-circle portico window bunting. They'll probably discover it in a year or two, maybe take it down in five, or let it fall naturally.

   While I'm on a roll nit-picking, let's talk about various parts of the front where paint is peeling:

Peeling paint on the entablature.
Photo by W. Minton

   There's also my favorite, the metal pole that used to have a sign on it by the front sign. It's sticking out of a bush, serving no apparent purpose.
  

Stay classy, LCHS.

  

   (Update 9/2014: The pole is now gone.)

   I love my school, but I'm highly critical of maintenance and appearance. I also always carry a camera on me, so I have a lot of evidence. I understand there's extra maintenance issues with older schools, so it's harder and more expensive than newer schools. I also understand we are in one of if not the richest county in America, so if we really wanted to, it could be done.

   I have more...but that's all I'm posting.


   For more photos of the Obama Rally, I recommend the Leesburg Today's photo gallery. (Thanks Mom for letting me use your pictures!)

* Just to be clear, LCHS did not host. The people who put together the event rented the school.