How JMU students felt about the Spirit Rock fiasco
Someone painted ‘Trump 2016’
The JMU Spirit Rock, located on East Campus, is available for all students to paint at any time. That being said, there is nothing technically wrong with repainting the Spirit Rock to say “Trump 2016.” So why has this caused such an uproar?
What people are upset over is not what was painted or even that it was painted, but what they chose to cover over and when they chose to do it. As previously reported, the Spirit Rock had been painted by members of the Omega Psi Phi fraternity in honor of their brother, Jeffrey Matthews, Jr. who recently passed away. The rock had been painted for a vigil being held in Mr. Matthews’s honor. However, later that night, someone repainted “Trump 2016” on the Spirit Rock, metamorphosing it into a campaign poster. Some claim that it had something to do with race and hatred, others claim they were always planning to paint it that night and it was coincidentally the same night Omega Psi Phi painted it. The Tab interviewed students to get their take on the issue.
Mike Jarvis, Junior, Vocal Performance/Religion
“The Spirit Rock is available for anyone and everyone to express their feelings, no question. But I have to question what kind of person sees what is clearly a memorial to a classmate and decides that it’s appropriate to paint over. Just because you have the right to do something doesn’t mean you SHOULD do it – that’s a basic moral concept that, unfortunately, seems to have escaped at least one student.”
Montana Calabrese, Junior, English
“Repainting the rock was disrespectful and inappropriate. That was painted to honor someone’s life who had passed away, and it was painted over within 12 hours. It’s just disgusting.”
Kara Levchenko, Junior, Music Education
“I feel ashamed to be a JMU student. That rock is a place for JMU students to express themselves and voice causes of love and peace. Political statements are not only inappropriate, but are also unwelcome and disrespectful. Each individual is entitled to their own political and religious ideas. But not everyone shares the same view. The students who painted the spirit rock with Trump 2016 disrespected all the students of JMU.”
Toneshia Watkins, JMU Class of 2014
“If you choose to vote for Donald Trump, great, that’s your right. However, it seems as if the intentions of those who covered up the rock were more malicious rather than political.”