Current Release: September 11th, 2007 | Vol. XXIV Iss. 10

illustration By Taylor Boyd

Our Voice

staff

On Sept. 28, 2007, The Marlin Chronicle ran a stand-alone photo of vandalized trees. The caption read: “The groundskeeping staff has been discouraged by constant vandalism to the school’s shrubs and plants. Since the start of the semester, plants have been torn and uprooted on such a consistent basis that the repair work is preventing the groundskeepers from accomplishing their everyday tasks.”

On Nov. 9, 2007, The Marlin Chronicle ran another vandalism story titled “Vandalism remains a major concern,” highlighting the destruction of a tree dedicated to the Holocaust.

In the article, maintenance workers questioned why people would commit acts of random violence against random fixtures, like light poles.

We don’t get it, either.

Today, The Marlin Chronicle is running a third story about vandalism to trees for this academic year. A tree dedicated to the memory of Professor Bill Jones was destroyed on April 7.

What is it about the trees, VWC?

While it may be a thrill rush or seem impressive to friends, these senseless acts affect more than the culprits doing the uprooting. Not only are trees a life-giving source, in that we interact with them in the oxygen-carbon dioxide exchange, they also give beauty to the campus.

And many are planted to commemorate a person or event.

Our plea then, is not to the culprits. As it is the third time this has occurred this year, we don’t know what’s left to be said. The acts speak for themselves.

Our plea is not to the administration, since they don’t have a clue who is or has been vandalizing the campus.

Everyone is charged with responsibility (and that responsibility doesn’t come cheap). We are, as Dean of Students David Buckingham has said, “a community of scholars.” However, such an atmosphere is diminished by senseless acts like this.

Therefore, our plea is to this community of scholars at VWC. Let’s come together with such excellence that our efforts overshadow stupidity. Let our scholarship influence not only the reputation of the college (which will have an affect on us as well), but also those who would rather sleep through classes they are paying for, who would rather nurse a hangover than study for a test in a class they are paying for, and who would destroy trees that we’re all going to have to pay for.