Following the summertime exodus of students from East Lansing, pentagrams, meaningless statements and crude illustrations of penises and weed summarize the overlapping confusion that now is the Rock on Farm Lane.

Within a month, the communal billboard has degenerated. What was for a time a memorial to a deceased eight-year-old child has become a stage for ambitious bathroom-stall vandals.

But that’s the beauty of the Rock — it’s not some sacred ground or sanctioned space. Its purpose is shaped by the actions of organized students.

Even though technically, it’s no more than a boulder plopped in the middle of campus, the Rock can be a focal point for student interaction if guided by a concentrated, organized effort among students.

One day it’s an impromptu rallying place and the next it’s a soapbox for student organizations.

It is the initiative of students who make this boulder the Rock, which is a powerful platform that many other campuses lack.

With past uses of sharing art, activism, inspiration and information, the Rock represents the pulse of student activity on campus, and the pulse is flatlining.

The potential of the Rock was showcased during its use as a memorial for Lacey Holsworth. It was a place for students to organize and bring meaning out of grief.

But rather than a place of organization and expression, during the summer the use of the Rock has devolved into mindless vulgarity better suited for a highway overpass.

The effort of thought put into recent writings on the Rock has led many to believe it to be the work of the Canadian geese that roam the nearby grounds and expel similar sentiments onto the pavement.

Just as the Lacey memorial exemplifies how the Rock can be appropriated as a uniting force, the current situation showcases what an eyesore the Rock is without concentrated student effort.

The Rock is positioned in the heart of campus. It catches the eye of most who pass by. And as it stands, most who walk through campus by the Rock are left to wonder if this is the same boulder that, more than a month ago, MSU students converged upon to mourn the loss of someone who inspired them.

But they didn’t just mourn. They created something together. Together they expressed their sympathy and support through a collective act, writing their names, wishes and condolences on that rallying boulder.

In doing so, they added another layer of paint and history to the Rock.

One of the more recent attempts at revitalizing some sort of organized message at the Rock during the summer came in the form of “God hates Ohio.” And currently, the front face of the Rock is tagged with pseudo gang graffiti.

The current state of the Rock doesn’t mar tradition, however. It only reflects the current lack of effort among students.

If utilized by the student body, it’s a tool for addressing issues, disseminating information and organizing under common interest.

If neglected by the student body, it’s an open canvas for hooligans to impress their friends by writing dirty words in public for cheap laughs.

The current state of the Rock isn’t a call to arms to apprehend the hooligans responsible, it’s an invitation for students to motivate each other, organize and share their passions in a meaningful way.

Michael Kransz is a State News reporter. Reach him at mkransz@statenews.com.