This is another bland article that will be in the Dixie Sun. Check out www.dixiesunlink.com for the "official" article coming out on Wednesday!

Graffiti is often looked upon as a form of vandalism, but is actually an artistic expression, says www.graffnews.com, a website that shows the inventive artwork in a positive light.
The website is dedicated to graffiti and graffiti artists around the nation. The site includes photos and videos of the different “tags” that are seen around the United States. There is even a Utah section where there are excerpts from the local papers on the issues concerning graffiti in the area.
The Internet houses a wide variety of websites committed to graffiti, most of which are pro-tagging. Anyone can find interesting and unique forms of graffiti all over the web. www.puregraffiti.com features not only photos and video of the U.S., but also covers regions worldwide.
This and most other sites include interviews, comments, blogs, and often ads for graffiti paraphernalia. www.thegreenhead.com even has an “LED spray can” for sale. It’s a spray can shaped light that can “paint” in the air. This gadget was also advertised on graffnews.com and puregraffiti.com.
Some Dixie State College students agree that graffiti can be a form of artistic expression, but believe there can be a better outlet for it. Steven Johnson from Las Vegas who is studying generals says that “Vegas is a big graffiti place.” He said that graffiti can be “artistic, but some of it is vulgar.” He says that since he’s moved to St. George, he hasn’t seen any graffiti at all.
Johnson believes as a creative outlet, graffiti can be positive. “If it weren’t considered vandalism, it would be a great form of art,” he said.
Alex Marshall, a junior Biology student from St. George doesn’t think that graffiti artists should use walls as places for their artwork. “I think it’s really artistic and cool,” she says, “I think they just need to put it down on a canvas instead of a wall.”
As far as locally, Marshall says that she doesn’t see graffiti around town very often because “St. George is pretty good about cleaning it up really fast.”
Dixie State College Registrar, Julie Stender says that graffiti “is artistic, but it is vandalism.” Her advice to graffiti artists is: “Find a better outlet for it than on the side of someone’s building or fence.”
Artistic or not, the vandalism has a price. In 2007 St. George spent $47,000 on graffiti clean-up, according to http://www.deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,635213467,00.html.
The students and staff seem to be in agreement that graffiti can be artistic and creative, and that if applied in a way that isn’t vandalism, is acceptable.