New banners in the TJ pool area enliven the space. photo by AJ Domagala
New banners add appeal and sophistication to the Thomas Jefferson pool area.
A beautiful new addition has been brought to the TJ pool, giving more life and sparkle to the school. YellowDog Printing & Graphics company has generously donated four banners to the school’s pool area, and because of this donation, students are now able to take even more pride in the appearance of the school.
Sitting high above the pool, these banners depict last year’s swim team. One photo is of a student mid-swim, while another shows multiple girls preparing to dive, and the third illustrates the team spirit of the Spartan swimmers. The fourth and final banner is a massive collage of various photos of the swim and dive team, with its size nearly covering the entire top half of the west wall. These new banners are a sizable and charitable donation to the TJ athletics department, and for them the school can thank Jenny and Dan Mulligan, TJ parents and owners of YellowDog Printing & Graphics.
In speaking to Jenny Mulligan, she said that at her daughter’s previous school, Slavens Middle School, the family printing business often made contributions, of which a lot of parents took notice. Once her daughter came to TJ, the Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO) inquired as to whether or not the business might do any printing for her daughter’s new school. The company offered their services to TJ, and proposed a donation amount to the school which was to be carried out over the four years that Mulligan’s daughter was attending. It was then up to the PTO to decide where the help would be most appreciated. The administration had been speaking to the PTO about improving upon the pool area so that it could appear livelier, so YellowDog Printing & Graphics agreed to create banners for the space. This process had been underway since last year until finally coming together near the beginning of the first semester. When asked why her company chose to grant such a sizable contribution to the school, Mulligan said, “it’s just a way for us to give back to the community, and it means so much to our kids and to us.”
YellowDog Printing & Graphics has already made other contributions to the TJ decor, including the banners on the lamp posts in the parking lot, and the large flag which was used at homecoming. They also recently wrapped a banner around the JROTC/robotics trailer that sits in the parking lot outside. “Now,” Mulligan said, “it’s just up to the administration to say what’s next.” YellowDog Printing & Graphics does not only create banners and posters, but also stickers, business cards, notepads, and large format printing, such as the banners they made for the school. The company also has an internship program which is open to high school students who are interested in graphic design and web development, which is a wonderful opportunity for any TJ students who are interested in the field. Anybody who wants to know more about the program can contact the company to inquire.
