With encouragement from administration last spring, students began painting the poles in the walkways in order to increase the vibrancy of the campus.
“[The poles] give students more ownership of the school, to make it theirs,” Assistant Principal Shawn Rainwater said.
“[The poles] give people artistic freedom with the school,” junior Paulette Vazquez said.
Seniors from last year left their mark on the school by painting poles.
Senior Lazarus Kilmer painted the fruit pole next to the planetarium last year to promote fruits. The fruit brings a splash of color to the environment, promoting healthy eating and bringing color to the Inglemoor environment. The fruit on Kilmer’s pole contrast against the white background, making it stand out from the other poles that have darker backgrounds. Kilmer’s pole took him around two hours to finish, so he spent less time out of class.
“[The poles] make IHS a brighter place… and a better environment.” Kilmer said.
Senior Abriana Boddie painted two of the poles at the end of last year. The red pole with the moon and silhouette of a tree next to the courtyard and the black pole next to it that is meant to be a moon at nighttime, are both Boddie’s creations. Unlike Kilmer, Boddie’s pole took a while to paint.
“It took me the last two weeks of school to do,” Boddie said.
They were a lot of work but also a lot of fun because Boddie got to express her artistic style at school. Although she was doing the pole alone, she wasn’t by herself.
“I was painting alone, but I was right next to other people painting their own poles,” she said.
Students paint these poles during class time, or after school, working with their teachers to make sure they don’t miss anything too important. People around the whole school have taken notice of this artwork. Some people even have a favorite pole. Vazquez said that the dinosaur pole is her favorite.
“Dinosaurs are cool and fun to see,” Vazquez said.
The poles are a well loved addition to the school and people are always looking for the next one to go up.
If you want to paint a pole, Rainwater has to approve your design and then the school will buy the paint for your pole. The students have control over what gets painted, showing their creativity and passions. All students have to do is be willing to put in the work to make a beautiful pole for Inglemoor to keep.
