JULES HOEPTING
Former Managing Editor
Ah, the FRED sign. An endless source of entertainment.
I’ve written about it before, and I’m writing about it one last time.
Late June 2021, four huge gray capital sans-serif letters spelling the word “FRED” appeared in front of the Williams Center. The sign was a gift from the class of 2020.
The next week those letters were painted a dark blue.
And then the FRED drama began.
First, they had to repaint the letters because the blue wasn’t dark enough.
Second, bugs stuck to the wet paint. So they had to redo the paint. They laid the letters down on the concrete to dry.
Third, the letters got all scratched up because they placed the letters on bumpy concrete while the paint was drying. So they had to do it again.
Fourth, the bubbles started to emerge on the surface of the letters.
Like acne on a teenager, the bubbles got popped, but they kept emerging. Bubbles surfaced throughout the fall semester.
Fifth, the sign took a beating. The internal foam was exposed. Yes, foam.
Sixth, during spring break, the FRED sign was removed. All that remained was a sign reading “class of 2020” with accents of blue spray paint on the concrete. Half the campus noticed.
Seventh, the sign re-emerged and looked new.
Eight, people climbed on the sign for senior pictures and part of the “E” broke. The “E” underwent a brace immediately, as graduation was approaching. A broken sign in the center of the campus could not be seen by thousands of parents who gave thousands of dollars to SUNY Fredonia.
That’s the extend of the sign’s struggles in it’s first year. As far as I know.
I can’t be certain what troubles the sign’s future holds, but I am certain the sign’s future will hold troubles.
