Josh Voland took in the scene: eight giant messages left in paint, splashed across the sidewalk in front of the Heritage Center. They all said the same mysterious words that have spread like wildfire across the U for the past three days.
The ASK HER vandal has struck again.
The latest outbreak happened where Voland was standing mere hours earlier.
“It’s bizarre,” said Voland, a freshman in engineering. “Whoever it is must be really sneaky.”
Campus police have no suspects or witnesses to any of the acts of vandalism.
However, Gary Forrest, the U’s Paint Shop supervisor said Wednesday that his crew has seen paint that looks similar used on fraternity windows on Greek Row.
Forrest estimated the cost of repairing the damage to be at least $3,000.
A woman who said she is member of a sorority told The Chronicle on Wednesday that two fraternity members approached members of her sorority about using the phrase “ASK HER” to promote Rush Week. She said the men wanted to paint “ASK HER” all over the sidewalks, while the women would wear T-shirts that said “ASK ME” in order to build buzz for Rush.
Rush week ended last month.
Ben Steigers, a member of the Kappa Sigma fraternity, said Wednesday that some of his fellow fraternity friends had approached him in the past few days, claiming to be responsible for the vandalism. Steigers said he didn’t believe them.
Griffin Jones, president of the Kappa Sigma Fraternity, said that he doesn’t know anything about the messages.
Sometime Tuesday night, the vandal expanded the scheme to the dorms. More than 20 of the vandal’s white, water-based signatures, “ASK HER,” along with a scattered few left in pink chalk had appeared Wednesday morning. Not even the Millennium Bridge was safe.
Tuesday was the third night in a row that the vandal has left his or her mark on the campus. Lower campus was targeted Sunday and Monday night.
Each time the University Paint Shop tries to wash the messages away, the ASK HER vandal returns and with a bigger and more ambitious palette. Sunday’s attack was kept to white, water-based paint, but the next night included green chalk and the third strike included pink chalk.
Sgt. Dennis North of the U Police Department said whoever the ASK vandal is must know the dorms aren’t closely watched at night. He said Campus Police only have up to seven patrol cars for the entire campus during the graveyard shift, and the vandal took advantage of the easy residential target.
North said he fully expects the vandal to keep up his or her graffiti spree.
Some students think this might be part of an elaborate marriage proposal. If it is, it’s likely the woman trying to leave a not-so-subtle hint for her man to pop the question already, North said.
Members of The Daily Utah Chronicle received an e-mail Wednesday night from someone claiming to be “Mr. Secret.” Secret claimed to be a member of the Keepers of Secrets, and assured that the messages are not a marriage proposal, but a step towards something bigger.
“Be prepared, there is more to come,” the message said. “When the time is right, we shall reveal our true identities and begin a revolution unlike any this campus has ever seen before.”