The Cannon (Tufts University)

Picture of the cannon

The Cannon is a replica of a cannon from the USS Constitution on the campus of Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts, United States, located in between Goddard Chapel and Ballou Hall. It serves as a billboard for campus activities and groups, and has been utilized as the basis for social and political campus movements.^[1]

History

The cannon, a replica of a 24-pound cannon from the USS Constitution, was donated to the City of Medford Historical Society by the National Park Services in return for a community effort to raise money to restore the famous warship. Having no place to put it, Medford then gifted it to Tufts university in 1956, where it was placed on campus, on a small patch of grass between Goddard Chapel and Ballou Hall.The cannon remained on campus until the mid 1960s, when it was removed for repairs and maintenance. It was not immediately replaced due strong antiwar sentiments on campus as a result of the Vietnam War. Eventually, after the end of the war in 1977, students lobbied for its replacement. This request was granted, as the cannon was return to its original location on campus, atop the hill where it stands today.^[2]

Soon after it was replaced in 1977, the cannon was painted black in protest of the Tufts University's support of the Marcos family, the then ruling family of the Philippines and frequent benefactors of Tufts. The university was scheduled to grant an honorary degree upon first lady Imelda Marcos. This was halted after ongoing unrest, including frequent painting of the cannon, petitions by students and many faculty members, and a 1000-person strong protest during one of the visits by the Marcos, pressured the university into breaking off relations.^[3] Although many students resented the painting of the cannon, considering it an act of vandalism, the occasional painting continued and cemented itself as an ongoing student tradition.

Since these protests students have been painting the cannon almost nightly. Because of this, the cannon was sandblasted in 1985 and 1996 to remove the numerous coats of paint it had accumulated. Also, due to poor documentation of the cannon upon its transfer to the campus, many students believed it was an actual cannon and not a replica, but these theories were dispelled in 1987 when part of the cannon broke off while it was being moved by maintenance. It should be noted that generally replicas are made of different materials from original pieces, and therefore may be more fragile.

Appearance

The cannon is a replica of a 24-pounder long gun, an approximately 8 foot long barrel mounted on wooden wheels. It is frequently covered in many layers of paint, so none of the original colors of the cannon are still discernible. Also, due to the amount of paint, it is no longer mobile and requires machinery to be moved around for maintenance. It can often be found with varying graffiti, including words and designs, advertisements, messages, and other announcements. On occasion, when offensive paintings or obscenities are left on the cannon, the cannon is painted by Tufts administration as an act of censorship.

Painting the Cannon

The act of painting the cannon has evolved into a ritual for Tufts students, that involves a set of strict rules that must be followed in order to preserve the tradition. The cannon is typically painted only after midnight. Due to the competitiveness surrounding its painting, students are required to camp out until sunrise to prevent other students from coming and painting over their work. It has also been used to send personal messages, such as birthday wishes and congratulations. In one case, in 1989, a Tufts faculty member was proposed to through the cannon.^[4] More notably, the cannon has been painted to commemorate and protest many national events, such as the September 11th Attacks and the Black Lives Matter movement. It has even been utilized to influence the decisions Tufts administration.

Many students consider the cannon to be an integral part of Tufts campus as it has serves as an alternate and unique opportunity for students to bond, and to communicate about events and issues on and off campus.

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