Arkansas: Chapters May Be Billed for "Paint War" Damage
 

The October 19 issue of the Arkansas Traveler has a report on damages allegedly caused by a "paint war" involving at least two NPC sororities and one IFC fraternity. Apparently a lot of paint ended up on one of the notable campus landmarks, the Senior Walk. A little paint reportedly was left in the Greek Theater, too.

http://media.www.thetraveleronline.c...-3042776.shtml

Edited to add: You may have to register with the paper's site in order to view anything on it.

The same issue of the paper has an editorial about the alleged incident.

:( I hope that Senior Walk and the theatre aren't permanently damaged; they're so precious to the university.

What is the "Senior Walk"? (Not from Arkansas, so I thought I would ask the obvious question as to its importance.)

I'll post this link. I think my name is in front of the Student Union but haven't been back to look for it since graduation.

http://arkalum.org/traditions/seniorwalk.php

That is a wonderful tradition!

carnation, just from what the article, editorial, and picture in the Traveler said and showed, it looks like the damage is not permanent -- just a mess that's going to be moderately expensive to clean up. The "abstract" that the Traveler has posted along with the editorial says

The incident of the paint war on the Old Main lawn raises a number of social issues pertaining to Greek life on campus. Gary Crain of the UA Police Department said members of the Tri Delta sorority, the Kappa delta sorority and the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity were involved in a paint fight, the results of which could cost thousands of dollars to clean up....

This is a wonderful tradition. Thanks for the link to the "traditions" there.

I don't see how it could cost 1000-3000 to clean up. My dad owns a pressure washer and I have stripped an entire 2 car, free-standing (4 walls) brick garage in about 3 hours...without etching it at all. Unless maintenance gets a couple hundred an hour there is no way it could cost that much.

And you can see from the picture that there is no permanent damage. It looks like the names are either stamped or drawn into the concrete. How can a little paint hurt something that is outside, exposed to the elements, 24/7?

Paint wars at Arkansas have gotten completely out of hand. I have a daughter on campus and when I learned that one of her organized, sanctioned social events was to join with another sorority and throw paint (real housepaint) on two other fraternities, I couldn't believe it. The girls go out and buy clothes (Target, WalMart) shoes, hat, etc to wear during this activity because everything they have on is totally ruined during the event. All participants are covered from head to toe in paint. Usually they head off to a pep rally afterwards. I am sure it is fun - like a food fight can be fun - but it does have the risk of causing property damage. Imagine 200+ people doing this. I don't remember if it is pledge classes that do it or the whole chapter. (but if whole chapters are involved, then the number participating would be larger) It is a mob scene.

Why can't they throw marshmellow cream on each other? Water balloons? chocolate pudding?

Or even tempera or poster paint? House paint has got to be a nightmare to get off of your skin and hair, even if you throw the clothes away.
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Not to mention potentially toxic and dangerous to your health and causing allergies...I mean, if they want to throw paint at each other, fine, but why do it on campus? Go to a paintball range or something.

I just worry because Arkansas has so many older buildings, not to mention Senior Walk, that could sustain considerable damage if they were even power-sprayed or sandblasted.

jmagnus, the earlier names are drawn into the walk and the later ones stamped. The older part of the walk is, naturally, much more fragile--seems like the first class they did was in 1892. No one wants to see that part of the sidewalk disintegrate.