Painting the Rock
Northwestern's best-known tradition.
A Canvas for Student Expression
Take a peek at The Rock, a huge chunk of stone in the middle of campus.
Originally a fountain donated by the Class of 1902, painting the Rock became a student prank in the 1940s. Today, students paint the Rock with colorful (in both senses of the word) slogans, advertisements for student groups, social activism, birthday wishes and even a marriage proposal.
Students paint the Rock to celebrate graduates prior to Graduation.
Student groups like this Mock Trial team camp out for access -- and painting rights -- to The Rock.
A fresh coat of purple paint welcomes students back to campus for the academic year.
Earth Day is just one of the holidays that the Rock has been painted to celebrate.
A student adds a personal note to the Rock.
Live from the Rock
Almost every night students "guard" the Rock for 24 hours to earn the privilege of painting it. Check out the live Rock webcam to see the Rock, right now.