I'm completely unable to process the sight I saw walking from the parking lot this morning. Someone had tagged with black spary paint one of the cedar trees. Maybe there were others too, I'm couldn't bear to look. Obviously it's impossible to remove so it's there for however long Krylon sticks to cedar bark. I can't think of anything more symbolic of the descent of Evergreen into the dark canyons of apathy and loss of purpose. My first thought was that of course a student did it, probably the same people who vandalized staff and student cars in the same parking lot for having police booster or MEMORIAL stickers. If Evergreen can teach anyone anything it should be that one's right to self expression should not invite threatening behavior from others in the same community or one's own self expression should not be at the detrement of things like ....cedar trees goddamnit!
And if it was someone who isn't currently associated with the institution (stupid high school boys) than what does that say about the state of Evergreen in the broader Olympia community? That even someone could have the idea enter their mind is a condemnation of how Evergreen has placed itself in the community and how much work we have to do.
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