Despite primarily negative feedback, Associated Students is going ahead with its plans to build a wildcat statue.
Back in October, The Orion first reported on A.S.’s plans to help fund and develop the statue.
The purpose of the statue is to create more school spirit, according to Taylor Herren, A.S. president.
The statue will cost between $40,000 and $300,000.
As previously reported, approximately $90,000 had been accumulated for the statue. The money was donated by the following organizations:
• $50,000 from the Alumni Association, $25,000 of which is from its Campus Beautification fund, which designates money to improve campus aesthetics
• $10,000 from the athletics department
• $20,000 from the university
• $10,000 from the A.S.
The A.S. was even discussing contributing an additional $40,000 pending a vote.
The reason why A.S. can afford funding the statue is because of the leftover money from years past and the $1 million signing bonus from the Follet contract.
However, many students voiced negative feedback for the proposed statue.
“Do we really need a giant statue? Is it that important that we’re going to be spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on it? This is a ridiculous use of that money,” one student commented on The Orion’s website.
Many students gave alternative ideas for what the money can be spent on.
One student recommended that the money could be spent to better preserve the habitat of mountain lions in the hills above Chico.
Another student suggested that A.S. spend the money on installing more safety blue light phones on campus.
However, it seems the opinions of students are once again being ignored by those in the positions to voice them.
Constructing a potential $300,000 statue against the will of the majority of the student population is a prime example of leading without listening.
Perhaps students will soon be seeing a change in A.S. when the new president takes over next semester.
Chico State doesn’t need a football team, or a $300,000 statue, to have “school spirit.”
