Walking through campus, it seemed like any other Sunday. Some people going to get lunch, others taking advantage of the nice northern weather by playing games or studying outside. It was a little cloudy, but not enough to destroy anybody’s spirits. The weather has finally cooled off and some people are choosing to break out a sweatshirt or sweatpants for the first time this school year. As I make my way past the edge of campus and onto the main road, I am suddenly in a little bit more of a desolate area. I can already feel how this might be an adventurous location.
As I approach the destination, I am a little bit confused. I am just off of a college campus usually bustling with energetic students and faculty, but all I see are trees and overgrown grass. The people driving down the road don’t seem to notice a thing as they go about their everyday routines between campus and downtown Waterville. I finally go around the curve in the road and reach my coordinates, a slight clearing in the woods. What appears are two boxes, generators or something of that nature enclosed by a metal guardrail. At first I am confused, but then I catch a glimpse of the stairs at the far end of the lot.
I nervously peek over the edge and see the stairs that lead down to a door at the bottom, with walls that have graffiti on them. The graffiti says ‘choke’ 2 times on a white, cinder block wall. It makes me wonder if this was just innocent artistry late at night, or if an actual crime was committed at this site. Beyond this little complex, there is nothing but trees and wilderness. I can vaguely hear the cars drive past, but no one would ever suspect this spot for shady activities. It simply comes off as a service stop with generators. However, upon further exploration, there are signs that there might have been some ill advised antics at some point in time right off of the Colby campus. (347)
I agree that this spot might not be highly suspicious for illegal activities, but if it were, I think all objects, or in this case, artworks, found should be collected and documented as evidence. This artwork might, in the end, be innocent artistry. Still, I think for the investigation, a good forensic scientist would switch up the famous saying: “It is guilt until proven innocent.”