Dozens of Orange High School students have stopped at classroom 311 to look through the mostly-covered door window in hopes of grabbing a peek of the school’s new tech lab. For days there wasn’t much to be seen. Long curtains going up over windows, tables moved in, furniture rearranged, but nothing jaw-dropping.
But then, working late into Sunday evening, tech elves worked magic to create a wonderland of high-powered computers, each with dual monitors; super-comfortable gaming chairs, strips of lighting that change colors; glowing keyboards and CPUs; and a big letter ‘O’ glowing on the wall.
“Seeing the evolution of how it’s all come together is just beyond me,” said Orange High junior Jesse Petrides. “From last week to what it is now, it’s just so incredible that we have this as a resource.”
“There was a video that showcased what it could look like, but this exceeds my expectations,” said senior Beckham Lu.
The new tech lab is courtesy of Orange High School winning the Brightspeed Bright Future Tech Lab Contest last fall. The contest is a joint effort by Brightspeed, one of the nation’s largest fiber broadband builders, and Stay Plugged In, a leading e-sports recruiting organization focused on providing educational and career opportunities to high school students. Orange High beat out dozens of schools in North Carolina to win the honor.
The competition is in its second year in North Carolina. In 2024, Orange High finished second to Triton High School in Irwin, N.C.
“This is a huge win for the Orange Engineering Design Academy, but more so for these kids,” said Brendan Murray, who is the computer engineering and computer science teacher at OHS. “The look on their faces every day for the last six months has just been incredible, especially when the first year we competed and we didn’t win it, you could tell they were disappointed a little bit. To have that excitement back and actually win at this time, it’s hard to put into words, to be honest with you. It’s extremely exciting.”
According to an email announcing the results from the contest, Orange High School impressed the judges with its forward-thinking vision, creative use of technology, and emphasis on inclusion and community engagement. The school’s submission stood out for its detailed plan to use the lab as a hub for STEM learning, e-sports competition and digital creativity, inspiring students to explore new career pathways in gaming, broadcasting and technology.
“Orange High School came very close to winning the first time they competed, and to their credit, they got right to work immediately after the first announcement was made, and here we are today,” said Steve Brewer, director of government affairs with Brightspeed. “They really impressed the judges, quite frankly, with their use of AI as well as their creativity in the technology world. Orange High is very deserving, and we’re really excited to be here today.”
The official ribbon cutting to the tech lab will happen Feb. 25. Until then, students will anxiously await their opportunities to launch the school’s new high-powered equipment.
“There are a lot of kids at this school for whom athletics might not be their thing, but if we’re talking about an e-sports team, in a program like that, can give students a chance to work in a team setting,” said Petrides. “That is something special that we have access to.”
There are 10 gaming computers in the room, with five on each side facing each other. The set up is primed for competitions, some of which could be expanded to include e-sports teams from Cedar Ridge High School.
Students will not be allowed to play games during school hours, except for Panther Time, a sort of open exploration time for students that happens from 10:30 a.m. to 11.
“That’s one of my favorite parts about it is that this isn’t just for a select group,” said Murray. “This is for every student in the school. Anybody who wants to be a part and come in here, check it out. Come on in and check it out.”
“The big thing for me,” said Brian Ewbank, who teaches in the Orange Engineering Design Academy at OHS, “is I wanted the students to know that if there was an opportunity to go for it, there was a chance it would come true. If you just run hard at it, watch what happens.”
