With the day-to-day routine of school, there’s rarely ever a chance for students to fall outside of their routines and even more rare to find yourself exploring the hallways altogether. But for all who are curious about what hidden treasures the school has to offer, here are nine things you may have never truly recognized in our school.  

The Student Activities Office 

The Student Activities Office (SAO) is a storage room where all of the Student Government and Leadership supplies are held. Some of the fun things kept there are cornhole boards and other yard games as well as old posters and decorations that are not currently in use. The SAO is located across from the Community Room.  

Showcases 

There are many showcases you may not have noticed scattered around the school featuring all of the achievements different clubs in Dakota have earned. There is one upstairs that displays the many awards the Dakota High School’s Model United Nations Team has won and another that advertises Key Club. Downstairs in the atrium there is a band focused case with more awards. Check them out the next time you walk past one!  

 The School Restaurant 

Dakota has its very own restaurant! The facility, known as the Meeting Grounds, is located near the north doors in the atrium. It is run by Dakota’s culinary arts students, who have the chance to help manage the eatery, cook, and serve food to outside guests (the restaurant is not currently open for student visitors). On the inside, the Meeting Grounds has seating arrangements, a front desk with a cash register, and a kitchen where all the food preparation occurs. The culinary classes are always whipping up something new, and the restaurant is a great way to put their culinary skills to the test! 

The Hidden Staircase 

The concept of a secret staircase may seem like something straight out of Harry Potter or a mystery novel, but our school makes that idea, a reality! Okay, technically, the stairs are not meant to be hidden, but we can pretend. If you are on the second floor, you can find the staircase on the left all the way at the end of the hallway housing rooms 246 and 247. The staircase leads out into the band hallway. So, if you need to get from that hallway to the band room, this is an awesome (and fun) passage to take! 

The Elevator 

Our school in fact is a little more bougiee than it seems when there’s a main elevator. The location is probably even a place you’re familiar with or have glanced at in the past! Though it’s tucked away a bit, found at the back of the atrium near the doors to the academic wing. It’s mainly used for students who may have an injury that prevents them from walking or for bringing up and down cargo that is too heavy for a person to bring up the stairs (though you may need a medical reason or teacher’s permission to use it). Overall, it’s a great addition to our school and aids in efficiency for students and staff in need of it.  

Book Depository  

Turns out, there’s more than one place to drop off your book at the media center. Outside of the library on the left side of the doors is a silver chute dedicated to dropping off checked out books. With a simple pull of a handle, dropping off your finished books is made ten times easier!  

Mrs. Lange’s Office 

Mrs. Lange’s office is a place where she allows kids to eat lunch, do homework and/or class work (keep in mind you need teacher permission to go during class). There are a variety of things in the room such as beanbag chairs, coloring books, beads to make bracelets and more!  Her room number is 249 and is located on the 2nd floor of the 10-12 building but will unfortunately be closed after spring break until April 17th.  

The Frozen Yogurt Machine

There is a new addition to the school lunch menus here at Dakota. During school lunches you can now purchase frozen yogurt! You can get this in the band hallway which is located near the vending machines. They change the flavors often, but some of the most popular ones switch between chocolate, vanilla, French vanilla, strawberry and chocolate-vanilla swirl.  

Broadcast Room 

The broadcast room at Dakota is a room where The Dakota Planet films videos to upload to their YouTube channel. The 2 two Krystyna’s Korner and Dakota Student Spotlights are filmed. You can find the broadcast room inside Computer Lab G located in the library.