The outside walls of South have also received four or five graffiti markings, all of which required a new coat of paint to cover. The lockers, which were repainted last summer, have been the targets of countless attacks, says Assistant Principal Joe Alsup. We scrub, scrape or paint, whatever it takes to clean it up. The money pays for the custodians' time, cleaning supplies and paint, says Alsup. With funds as low as they are, we end up spending textbook money on things like paint.
Students have to forfeit beneficial materials because of someone else's idea of art.
The first line of defense for tagging is usually that it's artistic expression, says Alsup. He stresses that there may be art in it, but it's wrong to impose one's own art on the property of others. There is also a drive for fame and recognition, says Alsup. We appreciate the desire to establish oneself as an individual, but that shouldn't spill over to the destruction of others' property or sense of security. South's response is fairly severe, says Alsup.