For most people, some core memories from high school center around Friday night football games. The excitement of getting ready with your friends, cheering alongside your peers, and bringing school spirit are all part of the thrill. Football games are one of the few times when everyone in the community comes together to share the joy of the game. However, Terra Linda High School is missing out on the spirit and anticipation that comes with these night-time football games. Installing football lights would give Terra Linda the undeniable student connection and school pride that high school is all about. 

Across the country, high school football games are so much more than just a sporting event. They are the core of school spirit. A 2023 survey by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFSHSA) showed 65% of high schools in the US have athletic events under lights and they lead to a 20%-30% increase in community attendance vs day games. This turnout is what TL is missing. Penny Stewart, a sophomore at Terra Linda, shared, “people don’t go to day-time games because they are busy…and games are more fun at night-time.” Higher attendance at football games would not only be beneficial to students, but also the players. Many players would argue that having a crowd would make the game more spirited and enjoyable for themselves. Additionally, the absence of lights is restricting spirit and fun. Gianna Guelfi, a new junior at Terra Linda, shared how she misses the football experience from San Rafael, the high school she transferred from. She explained, “it gives everyone something to look forward to at the end of the week.” Largely due to the many stresses of high school, most students share a longing for fun activities that keep them motivated until the weekend. For that reason alone, football lights at Terra Linda would create an activity for students to look forward to. 

A common debate of getting lights is the legal process that follows. Other schools in Marin, such as Marin Catholic, have faced major legal and environmental struggles surrounding the process of putting football lights up. A current issue that Terra Linda faces is the neighborhood complaints that restrain football lights. A district worker from another Marin high school was ultimately against their school getting football lights. They shared desires to keep the environment free of light pollution with many others in the community. “It was never about blocking the kids from having good resources and good fun,” they shared. “It’s about striking a proper balance of respect between the community and the school.” They shared that implementing lights “could work for Terra Linda if the spirit of the school and the community work together for mutual betterment. I’m sure the community there will come up with the right solution like we did here.”

Terra Linda High School should take a considerate and balanced approach to installing football lights. Doing so would not only benefit the student body, but the overall community. In the end, nothing brings a community together quite like a football game under the lights.