AthleticsAthletics News
Schuchart Gym Receives Upgrade With New “Wall of Champions”
The culmination of a nearly year-long project was reached this August with the installation of a brand new “Wall of Champions” in Bush’s Schuchart Gym. A marked departure from the collection of cloth championship banners that preceded it, the new wall presents a dynamic visual of the history of Bush athletics excellence that will bring a fresh, elevated look to the space.
“We wanted to have a high quality installation that we could showcase with the Centennial events happening this school year,” said Mel Harrow, Associate Athletic Director. “We’re thrilled to be able to share this with our larger community.”
Last fall, the athletic department had a couple of championship banners to add on the back of a successful sports season the previous year. While a good problem to have, the athletic department started to think about how they could reinvent the old banners into something cool and new. The first step was extensive research to make sure they captured every league, district, and state championship as far back as they could. This included reaching out to Bush alumni—some of whom were excited to reshare their sports experiences at Bush.
“It was fun to connect with them in that way,” Mel said.
They ended up capturing championships as far back as 1979.
After gathering all the information, the athletic department worked with graphic designer Char Davidson to develop a consistent template to showcase all the past winners. They settled on a color-coded system where league winners are in white, district champions are in light blue, and state champions are in gold. Instead of banners, the championships were printed directly on an aluminum composite material that is highly durable and makes all the colors stand out.
“We’re proud to have something unique that separates our gym apart from other spaces, and we’re so excited to have the students see it when they return,” Mel said.
On Tuesday, September 5, the athletic department will hold an official unveiling of the Wall of Champions for the Upper School student body. Last year’s league, district, and state champions who did not receive the traditional banners because of the ongoing project will be honored at the event. In keeping with Bush values, the wall includes all Bush sports, with spots open to commemorate future athletic glory. The athletic department looks forward to adding more names to the new wall in the years to come.
-by Colin Murray, Communications Manager
The Bush School is an independent, coeducational day school located in Seattle, WA enrolling 715 students in grades K–12. The mission of The Bush School is to spark in students of diverse backgrounds and talents a passion for learning, accomplishment, and contribution to their communities.
3400 East Harrison Street, Seattle WA 98112 (206) 322-7978
The Bush School does not discriminate in matters of employment, recruitment, admissions, or administration of any of its programs on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, national or ethnic origin, disability, gender, or sexual orientation. In addition, The Bush School does not discriminate in matters of employment on the basis of age or marital status.