Vandalism puts damper on street painting
USU administration and ASUSU leadership are questioning whether street painting, a more than 20-year-old Homecoming tradition, will continue next year after student groups who left paint handprints on buildings, lightposts and sidewalks around campus last week have failed to come forward.
Despite careful precautions, Student Traditions and Activities Board Traditions director Sloan Bailey said handprints and paint splatters were found at several sites around Aggie Bull-evard. These sites included areas near the Big Blue Parking Terrace, Veterinary Sciences Building, and a pole near the HPER building. Bailey said she formed a group of volunteers to clean the vandalized areas. While the group was able to remove some of the paint, there are still hand prints and paint splatters on light posts and sidewalks. She said she has avoided calling USU Facilities thus far, but will consider it if the volunteers cannot remove the damages.
Bailey said the rules were tightened this year because of vandalism issue last year. Precautions included each of the clubs signing a contract that required they use water-based paint. The contract also said a $150 fine would be issued for any group that got paint on the areas other than the street.
“We did lots of different extreme things,” Bailey said.
She said no one is sure who the perpetrators are, so no actions have been taken.
“We know the general area, but we don’t know exactly who was responsible,” Bailey said.
A notice has been sent to the participating clubs, asking the group responsible for vandalism to step forward. It will be reported to the campus police, Bailey said.
There were numerous volunteers watching the street painting, she said. ASUSU had one for every five or six clubs. The clubs’ advisors were also asked to be present during the painting. She said next year there may have to be even more – a volunteer for each club that participates.
Chaise Warr, ASUSU programming vice president, said they have to get permission from Facilities to hold the event every year. Because some students were irresponsible, it could potentially ruin the event for everybody in the future, he said.
“It’s so frustrating,” Warr said. “We worked so hard to prevent vandalism from happening this year.”
Because of problems last year, Bailey said she had to work with Student Services and Facilities to make this year’s event as problem-free as possible.
“It took lots convincing,” she said. “I had to be ready to compromise.”
Robert Reeder, Assistant Director of Maintenance, said Facilities was not aware of any problems from the painting. The USU Police Department reported they had not heard of the problems either.
Reeder said last year, the painting caused issues inside and outside buildings.
“We had some paint get into buildings,” he said. “It looked almost as if they’d gotten paint fights, and we’ve had handprints all over light poles and buildings.”
He said paint requires a power wash to remove, and cannot be removed from brick completely. In the past, he said the event has left its mark.
“We’ve had to strip parts of the hard floors,” he said. “We can’t get it removed.”
Bailey has several ideas out there to prevent future vandalism, but she said everybody is reluctant to get rid of tradition.
“I am really determined to help keep traditions around,” Bailey said.
The decision whether or not to keep the street painting will be decided by Student Services and next year’s traditions director, Bailey said.
Warr said students look forward to the event every year, so it would be sad to see it cancelled.
“Lots of students look forward to street painting, to express their Aggie pride and show their
involvement in clubs,” he said.
– katrimw@gmail.com