Tradition endangers environment

editorial cartoon by Jeremy Kimmelman
editorial cartoon by Jeremy Kimmelman

What has become a triumphant tradition may soon become a smoking crater if University of La Verne students continue to pollute the grass around the Rock.

The tradition of painting the Rock, as we know it, began decades ago.

Back then, a freshman was appointed once a year to paint the lovable, seven-ton hunk of granite.

For the years to follow, the tradition escalated into more of a competition, pitting classes, fraternities and sororities against one another.

Other student organizations also began using the Rock as a banner.

Eventually, the Rock was being painted almost nightly.

One problem: The paints used 40 years ago contained large traces of lead and other potentially harmful metals and chemicals, and it does not help this toxic situation if less contaminated paint is used more often.

Concern for the ground beneath the Rock, because of the paint chemicals, prompted some research in 1994 by the University’s Environmental Club, which was then headed by Professor of Biology and Biochemistry Jay Jones.

Toxic levels of lead, copper, chromium, nickel and manganese were all found in the soil: Some concentrations were as high as five times the legal limit determined by the Environmental Protection Agency in 1994.

It was determined that the paint from the Rock was having an effect on the nearby oak trees that line the sidewalk along Third Street. The toxins in the soil are slowly killing our beloved oaks.

Since the tests, almost 10 years ago now, little has been done to correct the situation.

The few safeguards that have been provided have proved to be of little use.

The concrete base surrounding the Rock was created to prevent the leakage of paints into the ground.

Although a nice gesture, it is useless if people paint the platform.

We may as well be injecting the toxins directly into the ground since the paint drips there anyway.

The base also encourages the painting of the Rock by providing a dry base on which to stand when the grass is wet.

Using less toxic paint as a means to combat the problem still does not help the grass surrounding the Rock and its platform. The only way the problem can be solved is to stop painting the base.

One suggestion is that the Rock could be left alone and students could use a different method to express their ideas: perhaps via signs and posters – though using so much paper would not help the environment either.

Another suggestion is to create a drainage system that can drain toxic chemicals out of the soil.

Perhaps the ultimate solution is that students should be restricted from painting the base.

It would certainly be possible to discontinue painting the Rock except for, possibly, once or twice a semester and under special circumstances like Homecoming or other special events.

Let the fraternities and sororities continue their prideful bickering elsewhere, through some other means. Let the various clubs advertise their organization some other way.

This would certainly restore a sense of meaning to another ULV tradition, caring for the environment in earnest.

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Unsigned editorials represent the opinion of the Campus Times Editorial Board.

Jeremy Kimmelman
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