2008 Woodie Awards
Graffiti, a class privilege?
Issue date: 11/7/07 Section: Letters to the Editor
- Page 1 of 1
To the editors of the Lumberjack,
[We] are writing in hopes of instigating a discussion on campus about bathroom graffiti. Let [us] be very clear, I think that public graffiti can be an important art form and tool of expression for those whose voices are systematically excluded from the mainstream art world. Like everything, it is contextual. Here at Humboldt State, [we] think that it is important to highlight the classism embedded in the in the ubiquitous graffiti on bathroom stalls.
The custodial staff at Humboldt State works very hard for too little pay, in [our] opinion. Students are not the only ones who suffer financially when top administrators are consistently prioritized for raises. And in [our] opinion[s] taking into account the very real struggles a great many students have faced to be at this university, our presence here is nevertheless a privilege. Statistically, we are all going to earn more in our lives if we graduate from college than we would have if we did not (although, of course, some of us will earn a lot more than others).
When students write on the inside of the bathroom stall, it is someone's job to scrub it off. The way [we] see it, students are, as a population, people with more class privilege than the custodial staff at Humboldt State, taken as a population. (If you don't think that class stratification exists in the U.S., please see Gregory Mantsio' essay "Class in America"). When students write on the stalls, they are making more work for custodial staff. [We] would encourage students to consider their own privilege when they make this decision.
[We] will use an example of some graffiti in the library second -floor women's bathroom. It has a picture of some hands holding the earth and reads "Heals the Earth with your hands!" It's written in some kind of waxy teal paint. [We] would ask the person who wrote this to consider the hands that must scrub this off. How long will it take? What kind of incredibly harsh chemical will be used? Will the person cleaning it be wearing gloves and a mask to protect him or herself from the fumes ? [We] would guess that the creator of this particular piece only uses natural or biodegradable cleaners at home. Why is this okay with them for someone else to be exposed to toxic chemicals that they themselves would not use?
On campus, students can take classes in screen printing and print making. AS groups can get permission to put messages on stakes and stake them around campus. If you want to make your opinion public, make a t-shirt, a flier, a poster, or write a 'zine. But please, check your privilege and don't make any more work for the custodial staff; they work hard enough with very little recognition for the vital role they play in making this place where you can get an education in comfort.
Multiple authors would like to sign their names to this letter.
Daniel Hordon-Economics
Anneka Anderson-Communication
Kelsey Vaughn-English
Shin Luong-Women's Studies
[We] are writing in hopes of instigating a discussion on campus about bathroom graffiti. Let [us] be very clear, I think that public graffiti can be an important art form and tool of expression for those whose voices are systematically excluded from the mainstream art world. Like everything, it is contextual. Here at Humboldt State, [we] think that it is important to highlight the classism embedded in the in the ubiquitous graffiti on bathroom stalls.
The custodial staff at Humboldt State works very hard for too little pay, in [our] opinion. Students are not the only ones who suffer financially when top administrators are consistently prioritized for raises. And in [our] opinion[s] taking into account the very real struggles a great many students have faced to be at this university, our presence here is nevertheless a privilege. Statistically, we are all going to earn more in our lives if we graduate from college than we would have if we did not (although, of course, some of us will earn a lot more than others).
When students write on the inside of the bathroom stall, it is someone's job to scrub it off. The way [we] see it, students are, as a population, people with more class privilege than the custodial staff at Humboldt State, taken as a population. (If you don't think that class stratification exists in the U.S., please see Gregory Mantsio' essay "Class in America"). When students write on the stalls, they are making more work for custodial staff. [We] would encourage students to consider their own privilege when they make this decision.
[We] will use an example of some graffiti in the library second -floor women's bathroom. It has a picture of some hands holding the earth and reads "Heals the Earth with your hands!" It's written in some kind of waxy teal paint. [We] would ask the person who wrote this to consider the hands that must scrub this off. How long will it take? What kind of incredibly harsh chemical will be used? Will the person cleaning it be wearing gloves and a mask to protect him or herself from the fumes ? [We] would guess that the creator of this particular piece only uses natural or biodegradable cleaners at home. Why is this okay with them for someone else to be exposed to toxic chemicals that they themselves would not use?
On campus, students can take classes in screen printing and print making. AS groups can get permission to put messages on stakes and stake them around campus. If you want to make your opinion public, make a t-shirt, a flier, a poster, or write a 'zine. But please, check your privilege and don't make any more work for the custodial staff; they work hard enough with very little recognition for the vital role they play in making this place where you can get an education in comfort.
Multiple authors would like to sign their names to this letter.
Daniel Hordon-Economics
Anneka Anderson-Communication
Kelsey Vaughn-English
Shin Luong-Women's Studies
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