Graffiti wall won't be erased

by Erica Ryan
Staff Writer

Though many stones and layers of paint will be lost, an Ohio University student tradition will not be sacrificed to the Bentley Hall construction project.

When Bentley renovations are completed in August 2003, the Graffiti Wall, on the corner of Richland Avenue and President Street, only will have changed in form.

The wall - where many OU students advertise and create - will be torn down during the expansion of Bentley Hall, said Mike Sostarich, vice president for student affairs.

Construction of the Bentley annex will begin April 1, said Richard Schultz, OU building and systems facilities planner.

Some OU students said they do not want to see the wall go.

"In Greek life, it's a tradition for pledge classes to paint the wall," OU freshman Natalie Pennell said.

Pennell, a member of Alpha Gamma Delta sorority, painted the wall Thursday in the pouring rain.

"The paint dripped everywhere, but we got into a paint fight and had a blast," she said.

The university understands the value of the Graffiti Wall, Sostarich said.

"It's good to have that kind of outlet for student expression," he said

Plywood will be attached to the construction fence so students still can paint during the building renovation, Sostarich said. The intent is to keep the wall in the same location.

OU's Facilities Planning and Construction office has two possible plans for permanent reconstruction of the wall, Schultz said.

One plan is to rebuild the wall so it resembles the original and is near the former location, he said. The other plan is to reconstruct the wall in three separate segments.

Later in the construction period, a plywood mock-up of each plan will be built and the final decision will be made by the Facilities Planning and Construction office and the Division of Student Affairs, Schultz said.

The decision probably will be made during Spring Quarter 2002, he said.

"Everyone was really interested in keeping the wall - students and administration," Schultz said.

But some students said they are more concerned about the cramped quarters of Bentley than the problems its renovation will cause.

"As long as the building is cool, I don't care as much about the Graffiti Wall," sophomore Kelly Metzger said.