Students awoke to two disturbances Sept. 5, one on the track and one nearby on Whittier Boulevard. Vandals spray painted the track with derogatory graffiti referencing a football player. On a Whittier Boulevard construction sign the driver warnings were replaced by blinking lights displaying a profane message referencing Harambe, the gorilla’s death.

The perpetrators of the track incident may have committed this act in anticipation of this Friday’s annual home football game against the Landon Bears.

Assistant principal Jerome Easton announced that retaliation won’t be accepted and that any students wearing inappropriate clothing directed at Landon would be disciplined.

Football coach Jim Kuhn also has his own policies to protect against reprisal.

“Coach said specifically that if you do something back to Landon, you are done for the season,” senior Jack McClelland said.

The track graffiti was painted over before school started Tuesday and will soon be power washed off.

“The only concern with that is that our track is so old I am not sure it will be able to withstand the power washing,” principal Alan Goodwin said.

The act, while offensive, has only elevated the team’s focus going into the game, senior captain Gunnar Morton said.

“This gave us even more of a push to get the win,” Morton said. “Now we know that we are in their heads.”