Cryptic tagging greeted the campus last week when students began moving back to campus.
The reported graffiti was located on campus on a bench near Roush Hall, a wall near Cowan Hall, on a wall of the Campus Center, on a golf cart located near the Campus Center and on a wall outside of the library.
Some of the messages read things such as “Was it the bee or the sting?” and “The theater is … yours to define.”
A penis and more text were reported to have been drawn on the fence surrounding the Church of the Messiah on North State Street, according to a report filed with the Westerville Police Division.
The WPD report noted younger people were spotted loitering around the church near an alley between midnight and 2 a.m.
There are no suspects thus far for the case and “there are no video captures yet,” according to Otterbein Sgt. Robert Reffitt.
If a suspect is apprehended, he or she could be charged with criminal damaging, a second degree misdemeanor punishable with a $750 fine and 90 days of incarceration, Reffitt said.
“An Otterbein student could also face judicial charges in addition to the criminal charges,” Reffitt said.
According to Otterbein painter Steven Phillips, the paint was easily removed with a spray and power washed away.
Each can of spray cost less than $10, and several cans were used in the removal process.
Sophomore art major Haley Amicon said that graffiti is a good way of expressing yourself, but not when it’s harmful to someone else’s property.
“Permanently tagging stuff that isn’t yours isn’t right,” Amicon said.
