Panther statues delayed again

Just in case the Student Government Board’s panther statue project hasn’t faced enough… Just in case the Student Government Board’s panther statue project hasn’t faced enough roadblocks, president Shady Henien announced at last night’s meeting that the statues – which student groups were selected to decorate upon their arrival – will now come to campus just days before their scheduled unveiling.

When the statues were not ready in time for this year’s homecoming weekend – which was SGB’s original plan – Henien called the audible to coincide their debuts with this Tuesday’s Lite Up Night.

Though they were scheduled to arrive on campus today, Heavy Industries – the Canadian company that crafted the statues – told Henien that the statues will not arrive until this Saturday.

Henien was not given a reason for the additional delay.

“I have no idea,” Henien said. “There’s just a lot of miscommunication, I’m assuming. I’m not too fond of them right now.”

With only three days to decorate the statues, Henien said that he will leave the decision up to the selected groups as to whether or not they will decorate them in time. “This is a judgment call left up to the individual student organizations,” he said. “If they can commit, then the event will occur Tuesday. If not, then it will take place in January.”

Despite the delays, Henien is confident that the event will go on as planned. “When Pitt students put their minds to something, we’re going to get it accomplished,” he said.

SGB received about two dozen applications to decorate the ten fiberglass statues, which each measure roughly six feet tall. The 10 statues cost SGB about $60,000.

Upon their completion, the statues will be displayed in prominent locations around campus.

After reviewing the proposals, the SGB selection committee gave the statues to Tau Beta Sigma (a band fraternity), the Pre-Medical Organization for Minority Students, The Pitt News, Pitt’s chapter of the American Chemical Society, the Panther Psychology Club, Pathfinders and the Black Action Society.

Inter-Fraternity Council, National Pan-Hellenic Council and Pan-Hel will combine to decorate one of the statues. The Panthers for Israel, Hillel, the Muslim Students Association and the Saudi Student House will work together to create a statue as well.

SGB also took one of the statues for itself, which it has invited all students not involved with any of the nine other statues to help decorate.

Traditions committee chairwoman Amanda Satryan was not satisfied with the final selections.

“I don’t think they were chosen based on artistic ability, they were chosen on what group it is,” Satryan said. “There are too many major groups in it that shouldn’t have won.”

Satryan was on the selection committee.

“I don’t think that it was voted on properly,” she said. “I think there are too many big groups selected, and that’s not the purpose of it. The purpose of [the statues] is to allow smaller groups to participate to get their names out.”

Board member and president-elect Sumter Link said the mix of groups is a balanced representation of Pitt’s student organizations.

“I think that there are a handful of smaller organizations in there that generally don’t get their name out so much, there’s definitely a mix between small and large organizations,” Link said.

Link was not on the selection committee.

While he agreed with the selected groups, Link said that he would like to see the groups receive more time to decorate the statues. “It might be better to push it back and wait,” he said. “We have finals that are rapidly approaching. Academics do come first.”

Henien said that the number of applications SGB received to decorate the statues is evidence of student support for the project. “This shows that there has been an increasing interest and a complete turnaround in perception of this tradition from when it was introduced,” he said.

By Henien’s estimate there are more than 350 registered student organizations at Pitt. Twenty-six applied to decorate statues.