Mahwah, NJ- Italian officials have been on a wild goose
chase for stolen remains from the Mt. Vesuvius eruption of the year 79. Yeah,
the year 79. During the famous eruption, the entire city of Pompeii was covered
and “obliterated” (as Wikipedia bluntly states).
Remains were stolen from the Italian City of Pompeii back in
’69, and in a drug induced haze including LSD, running barefoot, and following an
imaginary Pegasus, then-brand-new Ramapo College found itself with a rare piece
of history. The students then dumped silver paint all over the relic and danced
around a firepit in what had to be the coolest night in Ramapo history.
If you’ve been on campus you’ve seen the remains. You may
have just walked by it, or like most of us, felt a little uncomfortable looking
outside of your classroom to see a body in the fetal position.
Regardless, the Italians are pissed. A statement released earlier
this week provided Ramapo College with an ultimatum. The school can either (1) return
the remains, or (2) send the remains to a more well-known college.
Either way, there goes our piece of history.
So enjoy the view while you can, it’s a relic signifying
times well spent at the Po, before it was turned into a prison.
