Copyright © 2004 NLThomas
All Rights Reserved

A drawing of the outside of the new Sequoyah High School Multi-purpose Center. Construction is expected to be completed by November 2005.

TAHLEQUAH, OKLAHOMA - Sequoyah High School (SHS) recently broke ground on their new 53,000 square foot multi-purpose center.

"This is an exciting time for Sequoyah," said Gina Stanley, SHS superintendent. "This facility will only compliment our outstanding students. We look forward to being the home of one of the greatest multi-purpose facilities in this area."

"Sequoyah is a very special place to me because my dad went to school here," said Chad Smith, Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation. "I hold a special place for it in my heart. Now, I have a child here and things have come full circle. This building is not just a building for the sake of a building, it’s for the students. We’re doing this for them to ensure that they have the best possible facilities for their education."

The multi-purpose center will house the gymnasium for basketball and volleyball games, four classrooms, weight training area, and walking track. The center will have fixed seating for 1,800 people and portable seating for an additional 700. It will have a recreational area with a full service kitchen and a stage area appropriate for concerts and community activities. SHS plans to make the multi-purpose center available to lease to the public.

Construction is expected to start in November and will take approximately 12 months and $8 million to complete all phases.

Sequoyah High School is an all-Indian boarding high school operated by the Cherokee Nation. It is located five miles south of Tahlequah, Oklahoma.

Sequoyah High School "Home of the Indians!" P.O. Box 520, Tahlequah, OK 74465             Sequoyah High School Alumni P.O. Box 187, Park Hill, OK 74451-0187 Sequoyah High School, an Indian boarding school, originated in 1871, when the Cherokee National Council passed an act setting up an orphan asylum to take care of many orphans that came out of the Civil War. Sequoyah High School's approximate 300 enrollment represents 42 tribes and 14 different states. Students are eligible to attend if they are members of federally recognized Indian tribes or one-fourth blood descendants of such members.