Mural: Mischief or marvel?
Toolbox
By Sky Barsch Times Argus Staff - Published: June 1, 2005
MONTPELIER – A Montpelier High School senior prank turned out to be as beautiful as it is clever, leaving school administrators uncertain how to react to an uncommissioned large celestial ceiling mural.
The mural, a painting of swirling clouds, stars and a sun in the sky, was apparently done Tuesday morning from midnight to 4 a.m. in the main lobby, Principal Peter Evans said. School administration is unsure how students entered the building, because there appears there was no forced entry.
Evans said when he returned to school on Tuesday after the holiday weekend, he looked up at the mural on the lobby ceiling and thought it was an art class project. He soon learned that it was the Montpelier High School class of 2005's senior prank, a tradition that has had a more troublesome impact on the school. About 170 ceiling tiles were painted, he said.
"In this position we try to figure out how to deal with a case of vandalism that's really quite beautiful," Evans said.
In previous years, the departing class took books off of library shelves, piled snow in front of entrances, and even brought a portable toilet into the school, Evans said. This year's prank is reflective of the graduating class, Evans said, because they are creative and often challenge school administration to think about what is right and wrong.
The school will not discipline or press charges against the students for entering or vandalizing school property, the principal said. And, he added, no one is planning on removing the mural.
"It's beautiful, I think everyone agrees that it's beautiful. We're enjoying it right now, and we don't plan on removing it or eliminating it," Evans said.
Students may have tried to paint the mural early Friday morning, according to police logs, which indicate an alarm monitoring a window went off shortly after midnight, and one officer made reference in the log to the possibility that ceiling tiles were going to be painted. Police reviewed surveillance tapes of the building, which showed no one except for police in the building.
A surveillance camera was covered up Tuesday morning, according to Evans, and school officials couldn't tell who the student artists were.
Montpelier Police Chief Doug Hoyt said Tuesday that no alarm went off Monday night or Tuesday morning, though the school resource officer had reported finding a door ajar on Monday.
Evans said he wants to have a discussion with the junior class to ask what they would like to do for their "senior legacy project," trying to make leaving a class's mark on the school a positive thing.
"There's a fine line between how do we have expectations that are high in terms of behavior and at the same time recognize the phenomenal creative ability kids have," Evans said.
Contact Sky Barsch at sky.barsch@timesargus.com
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