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Tunnel painting has become a tradition for many organizations on campus, all which have the intention to advertise in a positive manner. Some paint jobs advertise the performance of an ensemble while others advertise the positive values an organization stands for. That being said, even though a tunnel painting may not be for a specific event, any PR is good PR.
While everyone is entitled to their own personal opinions toward any group on campus, it is also everyone’s responsibility to respect each and every one of these organizations. Targeting a group on campus and implying that they should not be allowed to advertise is not by any means respectful. I cannot speak for all organizations on campus, but within the Panhellenic community, we use the tunnels to advertise our values of sisterhood, loyalty and service, which are all genuine values we uphold and believe in. We may not all be advertising for a specific event, but advertising the wholesome beliefs we stand for merits equal attention.
As for respecting other group events, we would like to formally apologize for the disruption of any other advertisements in the tunnels. It is not our intention to limit the advertisement of another organization and for that we are sincerely sorry. To curb these miscommunications in the future, it may be in the campus’ best interest to create a system to reserve time slots for sections of the painted tunnel. The Panhellenic community already uses a system between chapters to ensure the fairness of tunnel painting, and to avoid painting over one another’s paint job. This system could be implemented campus-wide to avoid future mishaps, and all organizations could be reminded to be respectful of other advertisements in the tunnels. The success of this system has strengthened the relationships between chapters and has had a positive effect overall within our community.
Through tunnel painting, we are simply advertising the successes of our chapters and displaying appreciation for the organizations we are proud to be a part of on this campus. Advertising does not only relate to marketing an upcoming event — it also has to do with the advertisement of beliefs and accomplishments we are honored to stand for. To be part of a community that embraces the support of one another, service through volunteer work and the drive to succeed in all aspects of campus life is something we should be able to advertise.
Evans is a member of the class of 2014. She writes on behalf of Panhellenic Association.
