Rays of light creep through black and gold vapors, creating a dismal atmosphere. The smell of paint fumes is overwhelming. Hiding among the myriad jagged names and strange symbols stands a red rose, freshly painted on the wall of the Free Expression Tunnel.

“It’s for my friend’s birthday,” Heather Steelman, a sophomore in animal science said. Steelman, a resident advisor in Lee Hall, has organized an activity for students on her floor to go to the tunnel and express themselves with spray paint. She said painting at night is a great way to relieve stress and would make a good study break for any frustrated student. “We all need time from school to be creative,” Steelman said.

She said she typically paints on a canvas, but enjoys the freedom of having an entire tunnel to paint on. Her ultimate dream for the tunnel is a giant scene of mountains without the graffiti. Kate Webber, a sophomore in applied sociology, agreed painting is a great way to express oneself legally. She said she liked to paint quotes on the tunnel such as “Life is Sweet” but will paint whatever she is in the mood for. Painting is just “something fun to do,” according to Erin Curley, a freshman in biomedical engineering. She said there aren’t many options for a bored student late at night besides visiting the tunnel.

Curley said her artwork included her name, “Nothing Better Than a State Girl” and a memorial for a departed fish, who left the world without a name. The walls can be used for things other than expression, according to Tori Renz, a junior in technology education who paints advertisements.

Her church, Grace, painted two large sections of the tunnel urging students to attend an event called “Ignite,” which is a praise and worship concert. She and her friends believe painting the time and place in a part of campus that gets a lot of traffic will cause more students to show up to the event. She said the free food would also be a good persuasion. Renz said although she and her friends painted a flame above the second “i” in “Ignite,” no artistic talent is required to paint in the tunnel. “Just look at his stuff,” she said, pointing at her friend with a paintbrush.

Spray painting is more than just having fun, according to Joe Crutchfield, a sophomore in communication.

“That’s how I live my life,” he said.

Crutchfield said he used to spray paint illegally all over Charlotte. According to him, the accessibility of the tunnel is more bad than good.

According to Crutchfield, half of the fun of tagging, which is like a sprayer’s signature, is the fun of getting caught.

He said taggers get new ideas when they are inspired by the shapes and locations of other taggers. There is nothing more inspiring than seeing someone’s art displayed in a hard-to-reach place, such as a rooftop, according to Crutchfield.

He said spray painting is like creating a memory.

“Some people take pictures of themselves partying,” Crutchfield said. “That’s the same thing I am doing with spray painting.” Sgt. Jon Barnwell of Campus Police said he thinks the tunnel makes NCSU’s campus unique, as long as the paint stays in the tunnel.

The University spent nearly $30,000 last year to clean up graffiti on campus, according to Barnwell. He said the University had to buy a power washer machine and chemicals and hire someone to operate it, which can get pricey. Since the Free Expression Tunnel first became a location for expression, Barnwell said there have been increased instances of vandalism on other parts of campus, including trash receptacles, Clark Dining Hall, the Tri-towers and even Centennial campus. Barnwell, a former student, said, while “painting is fun and a tradition,” it is not a requirement of the University. He said he urges people to report any violations of painting outside of the tunnel, especially because the money for clean up comes from student fees. Steelman said the graffiti should stay in the tunnel because if there were other designated places, the tunnel wouldn’t be as special.

Curley said she agreed there shouldn’t be any other places to paint on campus, but would be interested in seeing other art on campus.

“Maybe performing arts, like people dancing,” she said. Webber said she supports student expression, but the vulgar images and comments are “a bit too much.” However, according to Barnwell, most of the graffiti in the tunnel is protected by freedom of speech. He said the only violation is slander, even though the University does periodically check the tunnel and paint over detrimental materials. However, he said this is rarely a problem. Steelman said even though she was never offended by material in the tunnel, she could see how others could be. She said the beauty of the tunnel is “anyone who has anything to say can come over and say it.”