Belonging, achievement, frustration, disappointment, competition, victory, defeat, and even betrayal are just some of the many emotions high school students experience on a daily basis. Betrayed is how some Timpview students have felt this semester because of the thoughtless destruction and vandalism of their artistic creations.  The ceramic flower garden at the end of Industrial Hall honoring previous ceramics teacher, Mr. Knight, consisted of over 500 ceramic flowers created by dedicated students inspired by Mr. Knight’s passion and dedication to ceramics. Now only about 300 remain. One student in particular, ceramics student and senior Maison Williams, become an advocate for the ceramic garden, and Knight’s legacy, as she took on the responsibility of what remains of the garden.

“I think in two weeks we had four or five gallon buckets full of broken flower petals like it was so sad. Like piles of the naked rods, it was so so sad,” Williams said.

Those who were breaking the flowers may not have meant any harm, they may have simply thought it was a “funny” prank, but what they may not realize is that by breaking those flowers they were vandalizing not just school property, but student property. Those who participated in Mr. Knight’s program have been crushed to see their work destroyed and disrespected. Fortunately for ceramics students, Williams was able to gain access to the Atrium where she and 17 other people spent eight hours moving the ceramic flowers.

“I spent the whole day talking to two science teachers, I talked to the librarian, I talked to like seven janitors, I ended up talking to the principal and vice principal,  I talked to a bunch of people in the main office and got a bunch of people’s opinions, and I talked to the school cop and he was actually the one to give me the idea for the atrium,” Williams said.

Because of the student inaccessibility to the atrium Williams, and the 17 other student who aided in moving the flowers, hope the the flowers remain safe and cared for. However, that does not excuse the fact that so many student creations were destroyed. To Williams and countless other ceramics students it’s a sign of disrespect to themselves and Mr. Knight’s unifying program. Hundreds of Timpview students were able to participate in the ceramic flower garden started by Mr. Knight when he first came to Timpview in 2014. Over the three years that Knight was here, kids from all different walks of life came together with the common goal of completing the flower garden.

“I wish, at least for the kids that were breaking them, I wish they knew how much time went into that and like not just time, but combined student effort. Like everyone that took ceramics the three years Mr. Knight was here, added to it,” Williams said. “It’s parts of a whole adding to like this gorgeous whole, and breaking the parts is pretty detrimental.”

Maison, and several other students that were able to experience this unifying project during Knight’s time here at Timpview, are pushing the new ceramics teacher to begin the flower project again. However, Mr.Davison wants to ensure his ceramics program at Timpview is centered around the essential basics, and what his current students want to create.

“Yes I would consider expanding [the flowers] in the atrium, but it would be from a different angle and it would have to be something that is a popular student opinion. If the students appreciated it, if the students wanted it to keep going on, then I would have to hear that from other students. It would have to be something that reflects me and my program, not Mr. Knight’s,” Mr. Davison said.

These delicate ceramic flowers are a gift to Timpview, and they should have been treated as such. Despite whether or not the flowers are wanted right now, it was incredibly saddening to see these gifts ripped apart. However, Williams knows that she can move past it knowing the remaining flowers are safe, and by her personal understanding of where these flowers came from.

“It was a really cool thing of Mr. Knight, it was something he was really invested in and it was just cool that he went out of his way to do something special for the school, especially when it was so bizarre. Like it took you by surprise cause it didn’t look natural, I mean it’s all these flowers stuck in concrete and it’s interesting and kind of thought provoking, and that was inspiring,” Williams said.