Opinions In Defense of Bathroom Graffiti By Rosie Jacobs Wii taking a quick washroom break in the third floor girl’s washroom of the New West campus, I couldn’t help but notice a lively debate written in pink sharpie across the stall door. The issue began innocently enough with one anonymous girl asking anyone looking for a good time to call the following number. Then, suddenly, the wall took a sharp turn when someone replied to the invitation with the following ironic retort: “When you write on the bathroom stalls, the college has to pay to re-paint the washrooms, which takes money from students and taxpayers. So think about that the next time you decide to write on the stalls.” Unfortunately, the argument was short lived as janitorial staff shortly thereafter re-shielded the wall with a fresh coat of standard washroom-stall brown. However, the question remains: do students gain anything from these messages, or are they just graffiti that cost the students and taxpayers countless dollars? Personally, I think we could all benefit from a bit of washroom reading material. If you think about the “ideal” state of our school washrooms, the walls would consist of standardized, white tile sinks and walls, with a neat row of bathroom stalls dressed up in a very lively mud- brown—and of course let’s not forget the rigid line of brown tiles along the “The notes scribbled along the walls are not, at times, the politest decor, but it certainly is better than nothing. walls for a bit of flavor. In short, the washrooms would be very bland, stiff, and not the least bit colorful. Let me ask you: is that the way you would want your college to be? Certainly I don’t. College is supposed to be a place where students comes to expand their minds and horizons and I believe the only way we grow as individuals is through the chance to be creative. Our campus is already composed of bricks and cement; do we really need to further this cold, tasteless atmosphere by painting our walls off-white and our washrooms brown? Certainly, the classrooms that are the most intellectually stimulating are the ones that have windows, or at least some sort of poster, to contrast with the plain field of the wall. So is it not preferable to enter a washroom that is alive with color rather than one that imamates a broom closet? True, the notes scribbled along the walls are not, at times, the politest decor, but it certainly is better than nothing. Not only do these messages create a more colorful and creative atmosphere in our washrooms, they also spread new ideas and arouse arguments; at least this particular debate got me to think. A stall without graffiti is like a classroom where no one talks; the class passes awkwardly in a routine and rather dull fashion. A stall with graffiti, however, is like a classroom where everyone is engaged in lively debate and discussion; the class passes with increased speed and undoubtedly is more interesting. In that way, washroom graffiti isn’t all that bad if it at least gets one person to think. Many great masters such as Basquiat started off as mere graffiti artists. So which is more important, saving a few dollars, or releasing creativity and discussion in our college? I, for one, will not be missing my money. What's up?—The decline of social communication, that’s what! By Nicole Skutelnik L this decade of technology-driven entertainment, today’s children will inevitably face the wrath of obesity, diabetes-induced blindness, and social ineptitude. But that doesn’t mean those of us born in the 90s, 80s, or even 50s have escaped techno-fever. Nowadays, face-to-face communication has taken a hard hit from the growing typing and texting trends, to TV and internet-generated slang have taken over our spoken vocabulary. The most obvious communication disaster provoked from small-screen sources is what I call the “walk and talk,” which occurs when two people, acquaintances or strangers, walk toward each other. Once they see each other, they spend the duration of the approach averting their eyes, checking their watches, or fiddling with their phones. Finally, as they are within speaking distance of one another, one says, “what’s up?” Now, stop here. Have you ever found yourself in this situation? There is about two seconds during the “walk and talk” where the people are within speaking distance, and in those two seconds, both people are expected to exchange greetings. When the first person offers a “what’s up?” the second must choose from an array of possible responses. For example, the most common response to “what’s up?” is “nothing,” or “not much.” However, to be polite, the response should be countered with the question “what’s up with you?” But unfortunately, in the time of the “walk and talk,” such small chat is impossible. But now “what’s up?” is evolving, slurred into “sup?” the one word, slang version of the greeting. An acceptable response to this is usually “hi,” “hello,” or simply a repeat of the greeting of “sup?” However, during these verbal transactions, you must consider the possibility, though unlikely, that a person saying, “what’s up?” to you may actually be asking, “what’s directly overhead?” In order to respond appropriately in the allotted time, you must be aware of your surroundings— which, in this day of communicating via technology, we seem to forget because we are so used to the safe environment of our computer rooms. Take note of what is above you, whether it is a chipped ceiling tile, a telephone wire, or a cloud shaped like a duck—this way, you'll be prepared to respond within the two-second timeframe. To remedy the burden of this communicative struggle, I suggest we do away with the greeting of “what’s up?” altogether. A simple “hey” is more effective, not to mention one syllable shorter than the alternative. But perhaps even a smile would be sufficient— everyone knows the value of an honest smile. A simple upturned-twitch at the comers of your mouth is a much more powerful greeting than “what’s up?” and can boost the recipient’s mood, as well as his or her confidence. Let’s reinvent the way we communicate before we are infected with techno-fever; or sooner or later, we’ll all be talking in acronyms.