“I think it’s best[that the rock was moved]. If students can’t use it for good then it shouldn’t be there. Writing racist things on it is not funny. It shows people are clearly not mature enough to have it,” says senior Lauren See.
“I equate the rock with an attractive nuisance,” DHS Principal Kit Moran said, noting that kids find the rock intriguing but, in the end, it causes more harm than good.
In recent years the rock has contained messages pertaining to birthdays, athletic game days, or positive quotes. In 2015, DHS made national news when the Class of 2015 painted the rock as the famous poop emoji as one of its senior pranks. But gone are the days of poop emoji fun as the DHS community has chosen to use the rock as a main outlet for political views.
“People drive by all the time and make horrible assumptions about us,” Moran said. “[People think] If it’s on the rock it must be sanctioned by the school.”
This is one of the main conflicts to arise since last spring. Rather than try to begin “regulating” the rock, school officials decided to get rid of the issue all together. Junior Jonathon Rosevelt states his opinion as, “I think the students should’ve acted more maturely and used the rock for different purposes other than just politics. I do understand why the school removed the rock, but to me, it was very unexpected.”
We sent out a survey to DHS students asking if they believe the rock is a place for political statements. 57.3% of students answered with no, while only 18.1% answered with yes; the rest were unsure. This has proven that the majority of students here at DHS have seen a shift in the regularly seen rock messages.
Currently the rock has been placed behind the school while the administration considers its future.
“Is it going to get moved back? If it’s up to the high school principal, I’d say ‘no,’” Moran said.
School culture is obviously a big factor in the decision making of where, or even if, the rock deserves a place back on school grounds. Do the positives outweigh the negatives that this rock provides? “It might have outlived its usefulness at this point,” Moran said. “All good things come to an end. It’s 2020 in America. This year needs to be over. We need to be nice to each other. Covid needs to go away. Being nice to each other is a start.”