Pro-Trump messages appear at UF

Messages written in red, white and blue chalk proclaimed Donald Trump will make America great again on UF’s campus.

Old Row, an entertainment website, launched an April Fools’ Day contest Friday on Twitter, asking college students to chalk “Trump 16” across their campuses.

The next day, the website’s Twitter account posted pictures of Trump’s slogan outside of the University Auditorium, on the entrance to Walker Hall and in front of the gator globe statue, which sits between Anderson Hall and Matherly Hall. On Turlington Plaza, “Trump 16” was written in white chalk. By early afternoon, the message was smudged.

“Chalking is against university policy, regardless of the nature of the topic. Political speech is free speech,” UF spokeswoman Janine Sikes said. She then added, “It’s not about the speech; it’s about the chalking. It’s about the graffiti.”

Ibram Kendi, a UF assistant professor of contemporary African American history, said he found out about the graffiti on Walker Hall, which houses the Center for African Studies, through a student. Kendi said he wasn’t surprised by the pro-Trump graffiti.

“I don’t see it as a coincidence that the building that houses the African American program was defaced with Trump graffiti,” he said. “I think it’s something the university should investigate.”

By Monday morning, only black smudges remained on the sides of the entrance.

A representative from Old Row wrote in an email that “The Chalkening” started as an

April Fools’ Day contest to show “Out of control outrage culture censoring dissent on college campuses.” The representative declined to give his or her name.

The term “old row” has historically referred to older fraternities established at the University of Alabama.  

The representative, who confirmed the Old Row received submissions from UF, said the submissions didn’t necessarily have to be about Trump.

On Friday, Old Row’s twitter offered winning college students of the contest a $100 Old Row gift card.

Online, students used #TheChalkening, posting pictures of chalk messages across college campuses. The Old Row representative said the contest took a life of its own.

“Our contest was a fun way to expose how silly it is to get upset enough to call the police or threaten others over something like chalk being written about the candidate you do not like,” the representative said.

Maegan Muir, 20, noticed the chalk message while tabling on Turlington Plaza.

“Ew,” the UF environmental junior said. She said that the message could be an attempt to garner support for the presidential hopeful.  

“When is (Trump) gonna be like ‘I’m just messing with everyone’?” Muir said.

@MelissaGomez004 

mgomez@alligator.org

 

Students pass by a “Trump 16” sign chalked into the wall of Turlington Plaza on Monday. The sign was a part of a nationwide April Fool’s contest organized by entertainment website and forum Old Row, which asked students to chalk pro-Trump messages across their campuses.