Recently, an article entitled “Sometimes a Rock is Just a Rock“ was published to widespread controversy and discussion. While I’m not going to address the points made by the author or the commenters (our Editor-in-Chief did that here), I do believe that the piece highlights one crucial fact:

The rock isn’t the only paintable surface at B-CC.

In a school with over 2,000 students and around 500 people per class, having one relatively small rock to paint on means that, no matter what, someone won’t have what they want.

Why aren’t we seeking other places to paint? The bus loop alone is a whole blank canvas just waiting for someone to cover it with the kind of symbolism and expression that graced the rock for years. Other schools even have walls that are painted by their graduating students, so this isn’t a radical idea.

I don’t know why we decided that the rock should be the only place people can express themselves, especially considering its appearance being recent in B-CC history. Prior to the field being rebuilt, the wall alongside the track was also adorned with various messages from Barons. If you go even further back, the roof of the C building was covered with the year of the graduating class. The fact that we allowed the painting of the track wall and roof to stop for a smaller and, honestly, more difficult-to-paint surface is a testament to the dying nature of school spirit.

While the rock is often considered the “traditional” area to make one’s mark at B-CC, traditions can change. Rather than let this piece turn into a point of contention and controversy, we should use it as an opportunity to adopt a new tradition for 2023 and beyond. What we need is for someone to boldly take the first step and start a new trend that will outlast all of us and bring a uniting tradition to a school that sorely needs it.

We also need B-CC administration to express support for such creativity by officially taking a stand instead of pretending like the rock doesn’t exist. We need large canvases for both trivial and significant artworks without anyone having their voice painted over. We need to plunge forward into the future and create a symbol of the diversity that permeates B-CC to its core, not compete with each other for a place to express ourselves.

It’s just up to one of us to do it.