Graffiti offends students
Writing on men’s restroom wall not the norm
at North Lake
By Jose Zarazua
Staff Writer
North Lake campus police are Compiled from staff reports
looking for a few bad writers.
A second-floor men's room, A-205, has been defaced by racist and
other unacceptable graffiti for more
than five months.
Officer Elias Reymundo said
people damaging campus property
could face prosecution for offenses
ranging from misdemeanors to felonies.
And, he said, students should
help police locate such people.
“It is very important for students
on the campus to report any activity
that involves graffiti,” Reymundo
said. “They can remain anonymous
if they choose, but any information
may … lead to an arrest.”
Some of the graffiti is targeted at
the League of United Latin American
Citizens, or LULAC. It refers to
members of that civil rights group
as liars and targets obscenities at
them.
Other derogatory remarks are
directed at gays, blacks and all other
people of color.
“If u(sic) aint(sic) white u(sic)
aint(sic) rite(sic),” reads one insult.
Lesly Castillo, sponsor of the
campus LULAC organization, expressed
surprise that the graffiti has
remained in the restroom since at
least September.
“We should investigate who is
doing this against school property,”
Castillo said. “Students should behave.”
Ciro Castellanos, a student, said
such mean-spirited graffiti is an affront
to all well-intentioned people.
“These actions are not appropriate
for college,” Castellanos
said. “We are in college, not high
school.”
John Watson, campus director
of facilities, said his staff responds
to complaints about graffiti.
“We don't have a lot of graffiti
problems at North Lake College,”
Watson said. “In the past three
months, we have received three reports
… regarding graffiti on campus,
but I was unaware of the graffiti in the restroom.”
Watson added he wants all such
insults removed as soon as possible.
“The best way to prevent this
problem is by eliminating it,” he
said. “If we don't eliminate the
graffiti, (some) students will think
this behavior is acceptable.”
By press time, Mr. Watson's
staff had begun to remove the hateful
remarks.
Anti-graffiti information should
be supplied to all new North Lake
students, said Cristian Gallegos, a
second-year student.
“This issue should be discussed
during orientation,” Gallegos said.
“I believe it is the new students who
do this.”
Officer Reymundo said anyone
who witnesses defacement of campus
property should call campus
police at: 972-273-3302. They also
can find an online report form at:
www.northlakecollege.edu/resources/police/onlinereport.html |
