Wed 2 Jul 2008
2008- With student activism and political upheaval engulfing the school, the media began circling above, casting their large shadowy wing across the campus, ironically because of what started over one student’s annoyance over a styrofoam cup. The president and his administration attempted to quell the dissent, and let go of an employee after she spoke up in favor of the Education First movement. (The administration attempted to portray it as her job was abolished.)
All the while the president and his staff dodged my questions. In this they failed to address the fact that their arrogance or lack of transparency there in on issues encouraged me burn with righteous crusadic fervor towards an end goal of fixing priorities. I had become jaded and filled with a deep, dark smoke as my gears began to wind up into faster and faster revolutions. The whole movement began taking its toll on my spirit and soul. Friends were feeling ostracized because of my distance from them. Others who did not embrace with the same fervor the problems we were trying to address felt put off by my aggressive behavior. It was at that moment the vultures began to feed off the carrion, and the walls began to collapse.
The president had a meeting with the board of the school. The board seemed…. unaware… of what had transpired, and was surprised by the silent protest. It was a balmy 100 degrees or so and around 100 students showed up in the end to show their discordance with the administration’s viewpoints. I showed up late, but wanted to show my support of the student body, eventhough I disagreed with the student government’s passive protest. Admittedly it worked to some degree, and I was wrong.
Within a few days it was announced that my adversary, the president would not have his contract renewed after it expired in 18 months. People were excited, but myself, I felt a bit grim. I don’t see any gain for anyone when we tapdance on a dying man’s epitaph- and to complicate things, with such a resounding focus on my attention now released I struggled to find myself back in my work.
Nightscraper was done in the midst of all the turmoil at the school. I added a filter glow to the windows and cast the clouds above the dark building tops. Based on the Chrysler Building it took me a few hours to complete with the pen tool, and utilized perspective lines to form the angles properly.


