Watch where you chalk

To avoid a fine, you might want to put the chalk to the sidewalk instead of the wall.

Troy University’s student organizations have been warned that fines will be administered if they deface university property.

Sadaris Williams, assistant coordinator of student involvement and leadership, sent an email to all student organization presidents informing them that using chalk to advertise on walls and buildings, especially the brick wall located near Barnes & Noble, is not approved.

According to the email, any chalking of walls and buildings will result in a $50 fine against the organization responsible, beginning on Feb. 16, and the group will be expected to clean the wall within 24 hours of being notified.

“The issue of the walls is merely cosmetic, and it is not appropriate,” Williams said. “When individuals use sidewalk chalk on the buildings, it does not come off easily or wash off by the rain. It requires an individual to pressure-wash the chalk off of the brick walls.  Our office has spent hours in the past to clean these walls. Using sidewalk chalk has never been a problem when it is used correctly.”

What will happen if groups other than student organizations chalk walls and buildings?

“We will handle those situations cases by case,” Williams said. “Commercial organizations usually seek permission to put up advertisements about events on campus.

“The email to the student organization presidents was sent to merely educate our student body on the proper way to advertise their events on campus without defacing university property. We are not looking to punish any organization or anyone.”

The Oracle student handbook states, “Posters, signs, notices, banners, placards, or other forms of advertising are not permitted on trees, utility poles, sidewalks, building exteriors, windows, or put up in any place in a manner that defaces the surface used or makes the removal of the material difficult.”

In his email, however, Williams said that chalk used on sidewalks, hanging posters on bulletin boards and hanging banners on the baseball fence or the wall near Barnes & Noble are all approved ways of advertising events on campus.

Williams said that

organizations should submit their events to Trojan Today in order to advertise their events. He said that he will make sure that, if approved, the event will be displayed on the Trojan Today website, as well as on the televisions in the Trojan Center and the residence halls. You can submit an event by following the link provided on troy.edu/today