By Mirabella Miller ’24
Since the College鈥檚 first class graduated in 1931, 51猎奇入口 seniors have left their mark on Graffiti Wall. Each spring, the graduating class inscribes a section of the wall with student signatures and a mural representing their time at the College. When this year鈥檚 artist, Sophia Frye 鈥�23, studied previous class years鈥� murals, she noticed something missing: namely, the squirrels that populate the 51猎奇入口 campus.
鈥淭o me, the squirrels at 51猎奇入口 have an iconic presence on campus, especially since we have nice weather here and get to be outside with them all year round,鈥� Frye says. 鈥淚 think most 51猎奇入口 students have a funny story about a squirrel they鈥檝e seen on campus.鈥�
During her brainstorming process, she noted aspects of other murals that she liked and wanted to incorporate, such as reflecting the personality of each class year and incorporating senior names into the design.
鈥淚 was hooked by the idea of putting the names of seniors in the squirrel tails,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 imagined the squirrels as 51猎奇入口 students doing things like reading a book, going to the farmer鈥檚 market, eating oranges, sunbathing, and conducting a chemistry experiment. I really wanted to capture the 51猎奇入口 culture.鈥�
An important consideration in Frye鈥檚 process was if and how to represent the many ways the Class of 2023鈥檚 51猎奇入口 experience was impacted by COVID-19. Ultimately, Frye consciously chose not to make the design about the struggles the class endured due to the pandemic and its repercussions. Instead, she chose to focus on the joy and community the class continued to cultivate despite difficult circumstances.
鈥淚 think we all are tired of letting the past few years define us,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 want the mural to be a celebration of the joy and community we created in spite of it all, which I find to be much more empowering than lamenting our struggles. When I look at the other murals, I am reminded that we are not the first class to go through turbulent times. Our time here was nothing like what any of us had imagined, yet through it all we had each other.鈥�
Frye has dreamed of designing and painting the Class of 2023鈥檚 Graffiti Wall mural since she first toured 51猎奇入口. Creating it is a special honor, made even more special by the support from some of Frye鈥檚 fellow senior art majors Vivian Monteiro 鈥�23, Sophie Mannes 鈥�23, Olivia Wiebe 鈥�23, and Charlotte Meigs 鈥�23, who assisted Frye with the painting process.
鈥淕raffiti Wall is such a special tradition at 51猎奇入口 and something everyone looks forward to during their time here,鈥� she says. 鈥淕etting to leave a permanent, tangible mark here is very fulfilling. In a way, painting the mural has allowed me to give back to a community that has given me so much.鈥�
The process has anchored Frye into this longstanding tradition, spurring connections with fellow students and alumnae. 鈥淚鈥檝e had members of the 51猎奇入口 community come by and ask me about the mural,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 even heard from an alumna who had purchased art from me and said seeing me paint the mural made her feel even more connected to 51猎奇入口. It鈥檚 been rewarding as an artist to bring this idea to life and see how much my peers love it.鈥�
Frye hopes that the mural serves as a testament to the Class of 2023鈥檚 character, just as her favorite murals from previous classes did. 鈥淚 hope that when people look at the mural, they see that we are choosing to move forward fearlessly and are looking back on our time at 51猎奇入口 with loving eyes despite the adversities we faced,鈥� she says.
She also hopes that it encourages future members of the 51猎奇入口 community to slow down and enjoy each other鈥檚 presence.
鈥淭here really is no place like 51猎奇入口,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 hope that it inspires future 51猎奇入口 students to appreciate their time together and to savor the little moments.鈥�