Campus tradition moves from spot
The Rock has been a campus focal point for four decades.
YOUNGSTOWN -- They talked about it last fall, but Youngstown State University waited until now to move The Rock from its resting place on the south side of Kilcawley Center.
A crew lifted the boulder from its 30-year resting place and moved it 100 feet east to a new, less traveled location Tuesday.
University officials had raised concerns about the rock last October, saying that the tradition of painting it by various campus groups had expanded to the point where it had become a safety issue.
Painters were getting carried away, not only painting the boulder but also painting the sidewalks around it, making them slippery when they got wet.
The university said at the time that various options for making the area safer were being considered, including moving The Rock.
Ron Cole, YSU spokesman, said Tuesday that The Rock was moved for safety and aesthetic reasons.
He cited the painted sidewalk concern and noted that the new home for the boulder is in a less-traveled area (although it is still clearly visible) and it will be surrounded by an area of gravel and mulch rather than sidewalk.
Traditions
Campus groups will still be able to carry on the painting tradition, he said, noting that during fall and spring semesters, The Rock sometimes gets a new coat of paint more than once a week.
He said the coatings of paint on the boulder are now nearly a foot thick.
The Rock was initially excavated in 1965 during the construction of Kilcawley Center, and, for a time, occupied a place of honor on the east side of the building.
It was moved to a more central location on the south side of Kilcawley in 1975, Cole said.
Tuesday's move was done in consultation with student government and the campus safety office, Cole said.