I decided to place my sticker on on of the bridges behind the school that go over the train tracks to cabot center and some of the further dorms. Since freshman year I've been going across these bridges to get to dance classes, the gym and friends dorms and I have always found them to be a place totally alien to the traditional idea of a college campus. I don't know if the fencing and guard towers are supposed to make you feel protected or constantly watched but in short the place feels like you've temporarily taken a wrong turn and ended up in prison. I was hoping that the addition of some sort of street art would make the detour less menacing but of course with the constant and very blatant patrolling of cops I had to make it very obvious that I was simply taping the sticker up temporarily and take it down immediately after my photos.

I tried the sticker in a few places but here with the most dismal view of the bridge and guard tower I thought it did the most to transform this colorless and threatening place into something you would expect of a college campus. Even more so I think the image of the irritated-looking guy with wings tied to his back on a crying duck who seems to be going nowhere is very appropriate for this bridge as clearly this is a place meant to keep some people either in or out but disguised as a place of passage. I thought this sticker drew attention to this fact making people think "Where am I going and what if I was not allowed to go through to get there?" I think this relates to the privatization of public space when forced to consider who really controls the bridge and whose best interest are they looking out for. Whether it is Northeastern who employs these guards or the city of Boston(working for Northeastern) I assume it is most likely they are looking out for the safety of us monetarily valuable college students to ensure that no member of a more threatening social group makes us(or our parents) fear for our safety. I suppose that means I should feel safer on this prison-like bridge but in their spare time the guards are perfectly happy to menacingly follow a college student looking like she plans to deface their lifeless bridge with a hint of color or humor.

-Katherine