Strange sightings
Amid the slew of chalk advertisements cluttering the pavement around Grounds is a more mysterious piece of art. A walk around central Grounds will reveal a series of black spray-painted pictures of a man smoking a pipe.
These scattered emblems have been gaining attention from passers-by, though no one seems to know who painted the figures or what the faces represent. Almost everyone believes they've seen the picture before.
"I think it's Internet-related," said third-year College student Ben Beach. "I think I've seen it on a search engine, like askjim."
Others think they've seen the picture on tequila advertisements, or possibly in the Yellow Journal, a defunct humor journal. Still, others see a link between the sidewalk art and photos of Ed McMahon splattered on Publishers Clearing House envelopes.
Describing the picture as a "50s father-figure pipe guy," first-year College student Jason Howard offered his own interpretation.
"I think it may be a symbol of the hard-core community around here," Howard said. "They like to juxtapose images of extreme wholesomeness with their own image."
No matter what the pictures mean, most students don't take them too seriously.
"I think it was done by some drunk person who went around and thought it was funny," said first-year College student Kelly Clifton.
Others, such as fourth-year Commerce student David Kim, have treated the images as a joke.
"No doubt it's some sort of sexual perversion," Kim said.
Compiled by Stephanie Batten
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