Emails obtained by The Daily Campus indicate that members of the UConn administration had planned significant revisions to rules and regulations surrounding spirit rocks on campus following student demonstrations in early October.
UConn’s three official paintable rocks, ‘the Rock’ across from North Garage, the ‘Towers Rocks’ on the bottom of the walkway to Towers and the ‘Buckley/Shippee Rock’ on the south side of the road leading to the buildings’ parking lot, have traditionally been used by the student body as a form of free expression, including that of a political nature.
Following the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas War on Oct. 7 and subsequent demonstrations across college campuses nationwide, rocks at UConn were painted over with various messages related to the conflict, often in quick succession. Student organizations mentioned in university communications as the parties responsible included Huskies for Israel, Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) and the Iranian Cultural Organization.
Initial reactions from university leadership appeared largely hostile to the prospect of a place for the rocks on campus at all moving forward. Emails reveal UConn officials’ fear over the use of the rock as a “nightly political football… which does nothing to support dialogue or mutual respect” and worries over escalating tensions.
“With everything going on between Israel and Hamas, President Maric, Nathan [Fuerst, Vice President for Student Life & Enrollment] and Provost D’Alleva, believe it would be in the University’s best interest to remove the rock entirely as we do not want to initiate any further tension amongst the UConn community,” wrote an executive assistant in an email on Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2023.
An initial rough draft of changes discussed during a meeting at 8 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2023 included the creation of an “online sign-up sheet” with “new timeslots released every two weeks” under a three-day increment.
UConn officials appeared to be divided over the future of the rock, with a number endorsing a plan that would “explore some alternate locations for the spirit rock,” others defending the current 2020 guidelines and urging caution, and some calling for the scrapping of the rocks entirely.
President Radenka Maric herself endorsed an “idea to retire our spirit rock in the Human Rights Center, student union, or maybe some of our athletic facilities.”
In the same email, she additionally directed recipients to an attached message from a UConn alum which critiqued the administration for its lack of willingness to take an unequivocal stand against antisemitism.
After discussions with student leaders, including Undergraduate Student Government and the Arab Students Association, university leadership appeared to drop the idea of retiring the rocks.
They remained, however, committed to adjusting the rules and regulations and moved forward on plans for the potential relocation of rocks, particularly ‘the Rock’ across from North Garage.
“The spirit rock near the Jorgensen became a flashpoint for competing messages last week about the conflict in Gaza and Israel,” one administrator writes. “Student leaders are strongly supportive of retaining the rock as a forum for free speech, but nothing says it has to be placed at the entrance to campus. Could we move it to a less visible, more student-centric space?”
As of Dec. 4, 2023, university leaders have decided to not continue with any potential relocation of the rock.
“University leaders discussed the idea [of relocating the rock], but decided against it,” university spokesperson Stephanie Reitz said.
Future proposals discussed included a plan to install a sign next to the spirit rocks informing students of the guidelines for painting. As of Dec. 4, 2023, no signs have been installed.
The current guidelines, which came into effect Nov. 1, 2020, prohibit “partial painting of the rock” and “tagging letters, names, or symbols over an existing painting,” along with stipulating that “a rock must be completely dry before another student/group may paint over the work.”