Home to exhilarating Friday night basketball games and arguably the most spirited room of Rockville, the Jim Conner Coliseum gymnasium will be redone this summer, and the much-loved Rammy design will be replaced with a block “R.”
On June 22, the gym floor will be sanded down and the design on the floor will change from the ram to the block R. After a number of years, every school in the county is able to change their gym floor. This year, it’s RHSa�� turn.
According to former principal Dr. Debra Munk and Athletic Director Michael Hayes, infringement issues caused them to avoid logos similar to the St. Louis football team and car model Dodge’s Rams. RHSa�� choices were limited, and to this day, there is still no official school ram.
“We don’t have a school ram so that was our biggest problem. That’s why a lot of the coaches and teams [swimming, wrestling and track] made their own,” Hayes said. “No one can agree on a school ram, so that’s why we [coaches and administration] decided to go with the “Ra��.”
The Jim Conner Coliseum is named in honor of RHSa�� first-ever boys’ varsity basketball coach, Jim Conner, who lost his battle with cancer in 2006. He coached from 1968 to 1982 and won two state titles in 1971 and 1973 — the only two in RHS basketball history.
Munk, who was involved in the renaming ceremony and the choosing of the present ram design, was surprised to hear about the change. “I love that ram. I’m going to be sad to see the ram go. Obviously, things have to change, but it signifies Rockville,” Munk said.
Since the county is in charge of the renovation, Rockville only had input on choosing the new design. This will not cost any money from the school’s operating budget.
This will be the first time in 11 years that RHS is undergoing a major change, and many students are not happy. “Who wants to be known as the Rockville R’s? We are the Rockville Rams,” freshman Jackie De Melo said.
Hayes said that the ram on the front of the building has not been determined if it will stay, but the ram on the gym will definitely go.
“It will be interesting. I wonder how many kids will notice it and miss it,” Munk said. “Alums will come back and go, where’s our Ram?”