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OTHER NEWS STORIES - Rally in PUB - Did it fall on deaf ears? - Pugilistic display of fisticuffs at SCC - Students who place hopes in UW let down - News Briefs Increasing defacing of property here at Shoreline Ty Garfield Editor in Chief The rash of vandalism and graffiti on our campus spreads. The Worldly Philosophers and Dismal Scientists' Society is the latest club to be subject to graffiti. The target in this instance is not national origin, religion, race or sexual orientation, but political ideology and patriotism. On Thursday Oct. 17 near 3:30 PM, Jacqueline Bartels produced a color proof of a poster advertising Senator Jim McDermott's visit to Shoreline Community College. The proof displayed a slight error and Bartels decided to print another draft and post the flawed copy on the club bulletin board in the PUB building. The poster was defaced with the word traitor in multiple places. Photo by Photo by Ty Garfield The following day Bartels and an associate returned to the bulletin board around 9:30 AM. Someone had written "Traitor" across two parts on the poster. Once across Jim Mc-Dermott's and in another spot right below the name. Bartels says, "I didn't have time to do anything about it right then, but (later) I took it down and reported it to Campus Security and to the Student Programs office." According to Bartels, "Traitor" refers to comments McDermott's made subsequent to his visit to Iraq. Upon his return, McDermott stated President Bush would "mislead the American public" to win support for aggression in Iraq. The comments have spurned a great deal of scorn for McDermott and brought his patriotism into question. The position is an unsettling one for an incumbent up for re-election in four days. The WPDSS invited McDermott to the College's campus to answer questions regarding the current diplomatic situation of America and Iraq and its impact on the world community. McDermott will appear in the Campus Theater Monday Nov. fourth starting at 11:30 AM. The club advisor, Tim Payne, says, "I feel (the club) should of left it up. Really, there is no such thing as bad publicity." Payne suggests, if this individual feels strongly enough about McDermott's comments then they should attend the question and answer period and engage in an intelligent exchange. The WPDSS is not the first organization on campus to have their posters and announcements altered. The Muslim Student Association had several of its posters torn down during the first weeks of the quarter. The Black Student Union's posters were repositioned around campus. Also, The Seattle Gay News had an entire run of their paper thrown into the trash. This grafitti adorns the north side of the 2600 building. There are also "no war" slogans on stop signs andbanisters around the school. Photo by Andrew Johnson The campus itself isn't immune. Graffiti appears on the 2600 building decrying "freedom is calling, www.crimethinc.com." Payne says, "This individual must have an issue with free speech. We're here to engage in an intellectual exchange of ideas." To scribble or deface behind someone's back shows no respect for another's point of view. Bartels doubled the WPDSS order of 11 by 17 black and white posters from 50 to 100. The step was in preparation of further graffiti. On Nov. 4th McDermott will be discussing many issues, from Iraq to George Bush While he is talking, WPDSS club members will hand out cards that the audience can write down questions on. © 2002 Shoreline Community College™