Intelligencer Journal/Lancaster New Era

Does Hempfield need a graffiti course?

To the Editors:

Well, it had to happen -- a graffiti art project on a rear tower of Hempfield High School.

If my memory is correct, one of the school's freshmen students was caught, at night, spraying graffiti on a garage. His loving parents paid for the damage, and one of the Bright Lights of Hempfield High School thought it'd be just ducky if the school had a course on graffiti.

I went freelance in 1965. Commercial and fine art, air brushing, illustration and so on. In my travels, I met Richard Ressel, the long-time art teacher at Lancaster Catholic High School. Late in each school year, he honored me by inviting me to speak to his class.

Dick is a man of many talents -- gifted teacher and watercolorist among them. The last time Hempfield allowed the graffiti phenom to surface, we had a good laugh and forgot about it.

Well, it had to happen -- and it did. The Hempfield School Board is being snookered into a $2,500 venture which makes no sense. Even so, "the district is mindful that some residents might not like the appearance of graffiti -- even approved graffiti -- on the school." Well, duh.

If this travesty goes forward, I ask the newspaper to print a two-column color photo of the results.

Ralph Lindsey

Johnstown