A new edition has been added to the Oakdale community, and it has become a controversial topic for the area. Everyone has seen the new sculpture in the roundabout at the entrance of the school sculpture, as it is unmissable. When students and staff come and go from the school, the sculpture is there to greet them. 

The sculpture, titled “Campfire,” was created by Joshua Wiener, a Colorado artist. He was selected for the design from over 50 artists across the country.

The project took over two years from collaboration of the Lake Linganore Association and the Frederick County Division of Public Works. The design finally had the permits to be installed at the right of way at Md. 144 and Eaglehead Drive.“Campfires create a destination and can draw people together,” Wiener said in a statement.

“For those who get to know Lake Linganore intimately, this sculpture will be a landmark for the quality of life that is enjoyed here, as the comfort and joy of a campfire evokes the essence of Lake Linganore as an impressive place to experience nature. Just as a campfire centers us in the outdoors, so too does Lake Linganore. This piece evokes a sense of destination, arrival, and curiosity,” Wiener wrote.  

The 35 foot sculpture has resulted in many diverse opinions in our community. Some believe it’s a good addition to the community while others question how it represents the community. 

“I just don’t get why they didn’t hire a local artist for the project. If they wanted to capture a sense of the community here, why didn’t they just pick someone who’s a part of the community,” Kerala Bannister (Sophomore) argued. 

Others are against it simply because they don’t like how it looks. “It looks dumb,” Bryan Downes (Senior) said. 

For the opposing opinion, some people don’t mind it’s presence. “It’s not terrible, I think it’s better than having this huge empty traffic circle,” Rhian Evans (Freshman) said. 

The debates over the sculpture continued throughout the week. 

Many are also concerned about the possible implications it will have on their driving. “I don’t like it; it could potentially be a driving hazard. If someone were to hit it, it could fall over. Also it just does not look good and represent Lake Linganore at all,” Hannah Thomas (Sophomore) said.  

“I don’t like it… every time I pass it, I feel like its gonna fall down and crush me. It doesn’t even look like a campfire, it looks like rusty scrap metal dropped from Mars in front of our school,” Alyssa Maxwell (Sophomore) argued. 

The majority of the students claimed that they like that they put something in the traffic circle, however, they feel that the sculpture is a poor representation of the area.