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Increased graffiti sparks
campus-wide initiative
Clubs urged to follow tunnel rules |
Sam Calhoun
Academic Affairs Beat
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Foster Hunt | The AppalachianStudent organizations are allowed
to paint walls and celilings of the north and south (shown above)
tunnels running under Rivers Street.
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As a reaction to the
spread of graffiti beyond the two Rivers Street tunnels, Appalachian
State University posted a letter describing written graffiti policies
on AppalNET this week.
In the past, the rules of decorating the tunnel
have been verbalized as anything that did not impede the flow of
traffic, but there was no written policy. That changed last year,
while examining the tunnels’ lights, handrails, sidewalks,
stairs and blue-light phone, said University Police Chief Gunther
E. Doerr. |
“We’re
trying to keep everything inside the tunnel,” Doerr said.
The AppalNET letter will follow section 5.3 of the same policy,
which states that graffiti may not be applied to any university
property with the sole exception of the interior walls and ceilings
of the tunnels on Rivers Street. According to this section, the
application of graffiti to the handrails, floors, stairs and exterior
walls leading to the tunnels will be deemed a violation of state
law and/or university policy.
Within the new written policy, section 2.19 defines graffiti as
all forms of writing, lettering, drawing, tagging, marking or painting
on objects, buildings, walls or any other surfaces, whether mobile
or stationary.
“We want a space for students to express themselves, but there
is a larger issue of [graffiti] elsewhere,” said Dean of Students
Susan P. Greene.
Doerr and Greene said they both see problems stemming from the lack
of visibility in the tunnels at night due to the painting over of
the lights, as well as a concern that the blue-light phone is hard
to find due to repeated painting.
Painting the handrails and steps may result in injury due to slipping,
and, in regards to the sidewalks leading to and from: “It just
looks awful,” Greene said.
Sgt. Sigfredo M. Carrero of the University Police said he hopes
the written rules about graffiti do not cause problems in the future.
“I’d rather see the taggings and stuff in those tunnels
and not on our buildings,” Carrero said. “But some of
the work is pretty good.”
Carrero said the police are usually aware when people are painting
and check it out.
If the art is not vulgar or obscene in nature and it is done on
a permissible surface, such as walls and ceilings, then there is
no problem. However, when the art fails to meet these guidelines,
students will be subject to a university citation.
Greene said if people see somebody defacing any area other than
those designated in the tunnels they should collect identifiable
information on the subject and report it to the police.
The university is offering cash rewards to curb graffiti. |
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