Y oh Y

New signage going up at different stages on the top of the tower block

Why oh why, I ask? The question I pose right now has nothing to do with the topical issue of toppling statues - quite the contrary, I think.

I'm asking a question with respect to new structures and in particular Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University's tower block. Oh, the 18-story edifice is not new. It was built in the early 1970s for one of our predecessor institutions, the University of Port Elizabeth.

The new structure of which I speak is the brand new signage that is presently being placed at the top of the said tower block.

I saw it going up yesterday - a wonderful splash of red in the sky caught my eye, and I thought, wow, our good name is finally up in lights. This is good. This makes me feel proud. This is fitting for our 10th anniversary year.

It’s a sentiment that’s being echoed elsewhere but especially by our students as captured via Facebook. Everyone appears to be very happy about NMMU being in the business of erecting signs, while the rest of the country is pretty intent on tearing things down.

“While other universities are destroying, we're building!” shares Siminikiwe Ncise.

Yes, we are … in fact, R1.1bn has been spent on infrastructure since 2009 at NMMU. (But that’s another story altogether).

I’m none too sure how much the signage being erected on both the North and South side of the building is costing, but it’s impressive. The logistics in getting it all in place before Graduation starts in Port Elizabeth on Tuesday are impressive too.

Here are some of them:

• The sign is 40m x 6m high
• It’s made up of 6m x 3m panels
• The sign weighs about 50kg
• Installation is via workers who are abseiling the panels into position

And if there’s too much dew, any rain or the wind happens to go above 15km/h, and then work has to stop. The noise factor is another challenge – sound travels easily through concrete density.

But challenges can be overcome ... which brings me to the Y oh Y question.

Why oh why, I ask, is the y in the word “university” in our brand new signage a capital letter, as in UniversitY!

Check the upstart Y

Yes, take a look at the signage … a big, fat, awkward Y in an otherwise beautiful sign. The instructions have been checked … there was no BIG Y in the brief. Why would anyone think a big Y was correct (especially at an institution of higher learning) while the rest of the word, bar the U, is in lower case? Why did the company continue to erect the panel? Why wasn’t someone from the installation company paying attention? Why, oh why?

So I guess NMMU isn’t so different, after all?

We’ll be in the removal business ourselves soon enough because that badly-behaved Y will have to go. He needs to be brought down to size …

I suppose we all do from time to time.

PS. That upstart Y was brought back down to size on Saturday 11 April with no protesters or green paint in sight.