A Tufts tradition has verged on disrespect and vandalism as students let their creativity spill off of the cannon outside the Goddard Chapel and onto the sidewalk around it.
Painting the sidewalk is not considered part of the cannon tradition, however, and is considered vandalism according to Tufts regulations.
The bylaws in the Pachyderm guide state that the cannon "tradition excludes painting the sidewalk and other areas surrounding the cannon." The Pachyderm also states that Tufts' code of conduct is "respecting the property of the University," which includes "theft, vandalism, and graffiti."
Captain Mark Keith of the Tufts University Police Department (TUPD) has not yet caught students guilty of this vandalism but said that if a TUPD officer were to find students painting the sidewalk, they would be referred to the Dean of Students' office.
The area around the cannon is continually cleaned throughout the year, keeping it clean and presentable, especially during prospective students' campus tours. Black paint has recently been used to conceal graffiti on the sidewalk.
Students and alumni agree that the cannon is an important part of Tufts' history and tradition and that it serves to celebrate Tufts and bond students. "It is a part of Tufts' identity," two-time cannon painter Cristina Gioioso (LA' 04) said.
Brittany Sommer, president of the Freshman Class Council, has not yet had the opportunity to paint the cannon, but said she intends to do so during her years on the Hill.
"The graffiti that is now being painted on the sidewalk is unnecessary and looks sloppy," she said.
Gioioso agrees. "Each time someone paints the cannon, the next person is going to do it bigger than the last," she said. "Instead of just the small area in front of the cannon being painted, it will end up extending farther out from that."
Students can also express their creativity in other ways, as shown by the sidewalk chalkings that dot campus. Chalking is not in violation of any University bylaws.
The cannon has been a part of the Tufts' history since 1956, when it was given as a gift from the Medford Historical Society. It is a replica of a 24-pound cannon found on the deck of the USS Constitution, today a museum docked in Boston Harbor. Painting the cannon began in 1977 and has been a Tufts tradition ever since.
