QTND 17: Graffiti Sheets

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RAE:

You probably get this one all the time, but as a First Year student I'm REALLY curious! ... What is the history behind the ingenious graffiti sheets in the bathrooms on A-Level? They are simply the best idea on campus! Who started the whole thing? When? And who maintains them today? I think they provide a wonderful forum unlike anything else for expression and COMEDY! I am always saddened when old sheets of material are removed! Please answer my questions about the graffiti sheet history and DON'T EVER TAKE THEM OUT OF THE BATHROOMS PERMANENTLY!! It would make my 4 years here and every trip to Mudd a far more interesting experience! Thanks!

— A curious graffiti artist

Dear CGA,

Actually, I don't remember getting this question before — a sure sign that it will return if I don't put it on the QTND board. The credit for the computer sheets goes to that now legendary figure known as WAM. For those of you who came here after the fall of 1990, WAM was William A. Moffett, my predecessor as Director of Libraries. The graffiti sheets were one of his early innovations back around 1979 when he first came to Oberlin. I don't really know if the idea was original with him — or if he saw the same thing somewhere else. In any event, he deserves the credit for doing it here. The sheets are routinely put up by library staff. I wouldn't dream of stopping the practice, since it not only provides enjoyment (for the most part) but also helps preserve the bathroom stalls. Then there's also my own selfish interest involved. I not only enjoy breaks on A-Level every now and then, but I've also succumbed on occasion to brief after-hours visits to the "other room" — just to see what's on the mind of the other half of the species.

—RAE 9/23/92

RAE, you kinky devil you!

Last updated:
October 6, 2012