|
The Rock
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. In 1966 the Student
Power movement began when undergraduate Ellis Pines '70 found
a bullhorn and successfully campaigned by the Rock for Student
Senate president. 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 administration 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. "And like the
goddess of liberty in Tiananmen Square, the oppressive authorities
chose to attack it."
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.
p. 256
Select another excerpt.
Order the book now.
|
