Students show support for outdoor basketball court lights

With more than $200,000 in accumulated funds that have piled up over the years, the ASB is looking to spend its money in ways that would help most students. One of the potential projects ASB is considering is the installation of lights for the outdoor basketball courts, a proposal that has received strong student support.

Basketball-loving students often enjoy playing recreational games together on the outdoor courts after school, but have little play time into the evening after the end of Daylight Savings Time.

“If there were lights, [students] would be able to play basketball and have fun for an extended amount of time,” junior Gautham Arunkumar said.

The project  initially  seemed improbable, since it was expected that few students would be affected, but ASB president Aakash Thumaty said now many students are showing support for the lights. It also seems more than plausible because of a lack of significant opposition, according to Thumaty.

“I can definitely see this going through and being completed,” Thumaty said.

However, there are a few concerns that need to be addressed before any plans could move forward. The estimated cost of $100,000 is one of the biggest obstacles.

In addition, having lights at the basketball courts during the night could bother the residents living on Herriman Avenue; ASB plans to address this problem by asking neighbors how they would feel about the lights.

“We want to be considerate,” Thumaty said. “Since the lights are a really big project, we want to try to foresee and predict any problems that could come up in the future.”

According to principal Paul Robinson, there would need to be more support and an obvious need for the lights to become a reality.

At this point, Robinson said  there isn’t even a timeline for a decision to be made on the project.

Even so, it’s not stopping hoopers from hoping for the lights and voicing why they want it.

“Adding lights to the court would be great for all the basketball players around here,” senior Noah Quanrud said.