By Kris Leonhardt

Editor

MARSHFIELD — Marshfield Columbus Catholic High School officially opened its new science lab addition during a ceremony held Oct. 27.

The addition is the school’s first expansion since it was built in the early 1950s and is named after major donors Ken and Joellen Heiman, who spoke on the importance of the addition and renovation project.

“It’s absolutely amazing to me, and what we have to understand about this whole project is — OK, it bares our name. Great, but it’s a community thing. It’s all about community,” Ken said. “We have to understand that this is what it is all about. If we don’t go back to this, if we don’t keep coming back to this position, it will just fall apart, and Columbus is on a phoenix right now because it can grow. It can continue to grow. It will continue to educate. It will continue to do a great job for (the students and their children) when they get a chance.

“But what it is all about today, it is all about the idea that we can perpetuate this. I mean you guys have come up with a great football team, soccer team, volleyball team, basketball team. … As far as sports you are doing phenomenally.

“Now, what we need to do, though, is we needed to come back to the sciences, so what it all comes down to is we need to reinvent (ourselves) all of the time, and that is why the other science lab was redone. … Everything that is being done here will perpetuate you into a new era.”

The grand opening included a formal dedication and blessing by Bishop William Patrick Callahan.

Work began on the science lab addition on the south end of Columbus Catholic High School on May 31.

The addition includes laboratories for chemistry, physics, biology, and other current science offerings and allows for further expansion. The previous high school science labs were renovated to improve the science facilities for the middle school grades.