By: Ty Wilson, Staff Writer
Many things can spruce up a college campus: sprawling gardens, unique architecture, and student artwork to name a few.
Believe it or not, Newman has quite the knack for campus decor.
If you haven't noticed, there are quite a few statues that make Newman their home. Stone replicas of Saint John Henry Newman as well as Bishop Eugene Gerber have made their mark on campus. Every time I walk by, I make sure to give Newman a head nod and sometimes a :’sup?” I love the Bishop even more. His statue looks so welcoming with his hands out, almost as though he's ready for embrace. I know I’m not the only one that daps him up when walking into Gerber Hall. In addition to these two Catholic giants, Newman has plenty of other statues and sculptures that offer something to gaze at while walking through campus. By far, my favorite piece on campus is the stone obelisks on the patio of De Mattias. This piece is titled “Figments” and is a work by Conrad Snider. The statues are meant to be vague and to offer students an opportunity to think for themselves. My interpretation of the piece is that it depicts two stone people flirting with each other at a very boring party. If they could hug, I think they would. The only thing stopping them is the fact that they are without arms, as well as legs, which makes it rather hard for them to go find some privacy.
Once I’m able to divert my attention from growing sexual tension between those stone obelisks, there is one more statue that piques my interest: the sculpture of the two women in front of the Fugate gym. Ya’ know, the one where one woman is pointing and has her hand on the other woman's shoulder.
I’m not sure what the point of it is or what it’s called. But I think it's pointing to the library, maybe to tell me to study. Or maybe to McNeill, saying that I’m in need of some advisor counseling. Either way she needs to stop pointing at me, or she's going to catch these hands.
PHOTO: Courtesy photo, University Relations
