During the week following Spring Break, Terra Linda students exited their first-period classes to find a bright yellow “TL” sign sitting at the entrance to the quad. The letters, set with a cement stand, quickly became the talk of the school, and before long, pictures of students posing in front of the sign circulated on social media.
Although the sign was an unexpected development, according to TL Principal Katy Dunlap, the project has been long in the making. “Originally the idea came from a lot of colleges and sporting events who had their letters spelled out,” Dunlap explained. “So that was the idea, to celebrate our school spirit and make it a place for students to take pictures.” Funds for the sign were donated a year ago, after sitting on the wishlist for years.
The long wait can be attributed to many factors, one being the unique complexity of executing the design. First, someone needed to cover the cost of the letters, approximately 15,000 dollars. After that, a donation for the cost of the architectural design was needed, covering the layout of the letters and the cement base. Finally came the cost of installation, where concrete work and construction took place. According to Dunlap, the project totaled just under 40,000 dollars.
The sudden addition caused an array of student reactions. For Layla Dempsey ‘29, the sign was a welcome change. “I like the TL sign,” Dempsey said. “I think it really adds to the campus and it’s really sweet that a parent donated that.” She also noted the functionality of the sign as a photo op. “It’s going to be super useful for pictures, spirit week and stuff like that.”
Others, however, remain unconvinced of the sign’s usefulness. “I think the sign is a little unnecessary,” said Oona Previtali ‘28. “I think the money could have gone to so many other things, like sports programs, art programs, stuff like that.”
For many, dissatisfaction with the sign is purely aesthetic.“The sign is pretty neat, but I feel like it should have more blue to fit the TL theme,” said Gautham Gurujal ‘29. Others view the sign itself as the problem. “The sign looks kinda dumb. It just sits there,” said Adonis Martin ‘28. Owen Wenzel ‘29 agreed, “It’s like a hunk of metal. It makes no sense. Why do we have it? It’s a piece of s***.”
The mixed reactions to the sign have sparked controversy at Terra Linda, something which Dunlap has noted. “There has been a lot of discussion about the color of the sign and how it’s pretty bright,” Dunlap acknowledged. The reason behind the choice of yellow was to fit in with the upcoming new buildings on campus. Dunlap understands the current dissatisfaction with the color, but is waiting to see how the sign looks upon the completion of the campus renovations. “Of course down the road we can always just paint it,” said Dunlap. “We’ll play with it and see.”
