2008 Woodie Awards
Build school spirit, don't help destroy it
Tony Patrico
Issue date: 7/25/07 Section: Editorial
You know what is one of my favorite things about SIUE? The ability to express yourself in any way you want. Some play a musical instrument, others play a sport, some just paint a picture, others write for the paper or become a news broadcaster. Another way some students express themselves on campus is by painting the Rock in the Stratton Quadrangle.
Since coming to SIUE a few years ago, I have noticed everything from a birthday message to a political statement being sprayed on the Rock. It's the best open forum I have seen, but lately, the Rock has been the middle of some controversial things.
After the "who's gay" incident, I found that maybe there would be some sort of slow down on the way people "expressed" themselves. Oh, was I wrong. Just last week, some individual decided to "express" his or her thoughts by taking a sledgehammer to the back of the Rock. Where's the message?
Was your intention to sit back, open the paper; see that your action has made the front-page and sit back and laugh? Mission accomplished. The Rock is something that has been a part of our school for many years and everyone from the starring actor in a play to the starting center on the basketball team has probably painted their message on the Rock and you decided that you wanted to damage it. An issue of something that is originally designed to create school spirit, at a school where it could be considered to be lacking, you've taken away one of the only things that people talked about.
So, I will ignore your message, and encourage others to do the same. I want everyone to continue to paint the Rock, ignore the attempts to take away our form of expression. Be heard by ignoring the ignorance of another. The Rock is designed to bring spirit onto the campus. Be proud of where you belong, who you are and what you think.
Also, along with the continuation of spraying the Rock, if you have any thoughts or ideas on how to rebuild this tradition, contact Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Narbeth Emmanuel. Keep this tradition alive. Along with going to soccer games and being part of the Eastsiderz, this is probably one of the better traditions that I have been a part of.
Oh, and for those of you who have been wondering, this is not the first attack on the Rock. The original Rock was damaged back in 2001. What happened to the person that damaged it the first time? Well, the damage of the Rock got that student a criminal damage to property charge. The end result? A new rock was brought in and the tradition continued. Support school spirit and keep this tradition alive.
Since coming to SIUE a few years ago, I have noticed everything from a birthday message to a political statement being sprayed on the Rock. It's the best open forum I have seen, but lately, the Rock has been the middle of some controversial things.
After the "who's gay" incident, I found that maybe there would be some sort of slow down on the way people "expressed" themselves. Oh, was I wrong. Just last week, some individual decided to "express" his or her thoughts by taking a sledgehammer to the back of the Rock. Where's the message?
Was your intention to sit back, open the paper; see that your action has made the front-page and sit back and laugh? Mission accomplished. The Rock is something that has been a part of our school for many years and everyone from the starring actor in a play to the starting center on the basketball team has probably painted their message on the Rock and you decided that you wanted to damage it. An issue of something that is originally designed to create school spirit, at a school where it could be considered to be lacking, you've taken away one of the only things that people talked about.
So, I will ignore your message, and encourage others to do the same. I want everyone to continue to paint the Rock, ignore the attempts to take away our form of expression. Be heard by ignoring the ignorance of another. The Rock is designed to bring spirit onto the campus. Be proud of where you belong, who you are and what you think.
Also, along with the continuation of spraying the Rock, if you have any thoughts or ideas on how to rebuild this tradition, contact Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Narbeth Emmanuel. Keep this tradition alive. Along with going to soccer games and being part of the Eastsiderz, this is probably one of the better traditions that I have been a part of.
Oh, and for those of you who have been wondering, this is not the first attack on the Rock. The original Rock was damaged back in 2001. What happened to the person that damaged it the first time? Well, the damage of the Rock got that student a criminal damage to property charge. The end result? A new rock was brought in and the tradition continued. Support school spirit and keep this tradition alive.
Be the first to comment on this story