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It was once an attractive and even romantic landmark, a place where sorority women met lettermen, a hallowed icon that embodied the "spirit of alma mater." That was how the class of 1902 envisioned it when they brought a six-foot-high quartzite boulder from Wisconsin and used it to create a drinking fountain and soothing oasis between Harris and University Halls.

In the 1940s, however, the Rock became a target for mild vandalism, as fraternity and sorority members made midnight visits and wantonly whitewashed the venerable symbol. Initially, the administration regarded such incidents as a sacrilege, but investigations and punishment were futile. By the 1950s, painting the Rock (by then its fountain was long defunct) became an accepted tradition.

The Rock witnessed other rebellions as well. Over the years, protests of other kinds found their way to the old boulder, which lost its picturesque charm to much paint but retained its stalwart symbolism.

In 1989 the University moved the Rock 30 feet to the east in an effort to keep people from tracking wet paint into nearby buildings. Unfortunately, the movers cracked the sacred stone, an embarrassment to the administration, which incurred the wrath of tradition-minded students. "The Rock was the one enduring symbol of student autonomy," said one.

The Rock was mortared back together--technical assistance in this matter came from the materials science and engineering departments--and it was none the worse for the wear, the administration declared. In any case, some things did not change. Students still paint it. Some faculty still think it's an eyesore. It's always hard to explain to outsiders. "It's a mystical sort of abstract presence on campus," said Patrick M. Quinn, University archivist, noting that its true meaning is as fluid as it is imprecise.