New Skybox Offers More

Joy Gora-Aina, Staff Reporter • April 7, 2025

The Cudiamat Skybox, located upstairs in the gym, opened to the Lancer community earlier this year. All photos by Joy Gora-Aina.

This plan began five years ago as part of the Capitol Campaign, but the campaign was ultimately ended, and the gym never received the funding. The vision behind this plan was driven by the Academy and the Athletic Department’s desire to transform a poorly used space into a functional area that current students could utilize for study hall, downtime, leadership talks, film study and meetings. By improving this space, the Academy can also host alumni and the extended school community for events such as games, mass and May Day.

The Skybox will enhance the overall game-day experience, creating energy and highlighting the student-athletes for students, athletes and fans alike. It will also provide a platform to showcase other athletes and programs at the Academy during athletic events that would typically go unnoticed. Additionally, it will offer students the opportunity to gain valuable skills and experience in content creation, event program management and other multimedia activities. Jordan Terry, the Academy’s P.E. teacher, has her office located toward the back of the Skybox.

A group of donors helped bring this project to life, contributing significant thought and effort throughout the process. Fundraising efforts from the Athletic Booster Clubs, including golf tournaments and country fairs, raised $25,000 for the initiative. The school secured a $15,000 grant from the GN Wilcox Foundation. The majority of the donations came from the Cuidamant Family, who are also supporting other planned improvements for the gym. The Cuidamant family has two daughters attending the school: Melina Cudiamant, a junior in the class of 2026, and Mia Cudiamant, an 8th grader in the class of 2029. The Academy also donated over $50,000 in materials, supplies, manpower and equipment to the project.

With the funds in place, Athletic Director Ryan Hogue designed the room. The team removed the closets, installed two 4×7-foot windows and added new flooring, fresh paint, new lighting, furniture, Lancer logo art, an 85” TV and an upgraded bathroom. While the space is mostly furnished and set up, they are still awaiting a few remaining pieces of furniture. The renovations have opened up the space, creating more opportunities for a space that was not used as often.

A 17’x9’ foot screen will be installed in a few months, bringing a wide range of impact. The screen will feature graphics and images during games, showcase short videos highlighting all programs at the Academy, display admission videos, feature videos about alumni in the community and provide interactive content for P.E. classes. It will also display short videos for May Day or assemblies. Additionally, the large screen will function as a scoreboard during games. Located in a space overlooking the entire gym, the screen will offer an opportunity to view the games or any events taking place there.

About the Contributor

Joy Gora-Aina, Sports Editor

Joy is a second-year Journalism student and a junior at the Academy. She is also a first-year Sports Editor. This year, as a student reporter, she hopes to learn more about all the different types of articles that you can write and try new things out. Joy enjoys going to the beach and spending time with her friends. A fun fact about Joy is that she loves to play sports and be outside.

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