By LESLIE COLLINS
Northeast News
October 30, 2013

“Welcome to Viking Nation.” That’s the sign that now greets all who enter the Markey-Peters Field House at Northeast High School (NEHS).

The field house has been transformed, featuring brand new purple and white tile in the foyer and signage displaying the history of Northeast High School’s athletic accomplishments.

Crews sanded down and removed graffiti from bleachers, polishing them to a shiny finish, and added purple accents to the gymnasium walls. For the first time in its history, the gymnasium now features air conditioning, among other improvements.

“It’s really a new day at Northeast High School in terms of getting things done,” said NEHS Athletic Director Jim Conaway during the Oct. 19 Markey-Peters Field House re-dedication ceremony.

Thanks to N Club fundraisers and a donation by UMB, purple sign boards and banners plaster the gymnasium walls, ranging from state and district champions to the school song to the Interscholastic League teams to school records and more. A restored vitreous tile mosaic of the Northeast Viking ship also now hangs on the wall, and earlier this summer, the district installed new volleyball standards (the poles that hold up the volleyball net). The previous standards dated back to 1988 and had severely deteriorated.

Kansas City Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Stephen Green said students pay attention to these types of investments and it shows them that people care.

“This investment will pay huge dividends and have huge outcomes for us,” Green said.

Conaway briefly described the banners and listed some of the athletic accomplishments over the years. Seventeen athletic teams became Interscholastic League champions and district champions; four teams became state champions; 45 track and field individuals and relay teams won state championships; and there were six undefeated football teams, including the 1945 team that only gave up six points the entire season.

“Today’s a proud day for all Northeast Vikings,” Conaway said. “It’s an opportunity to see how rich our history is and be aware of the accomplishments of Northeast High School.”