Recently, there has been discussion of plans to have a lion statue fabricated and placed on the Oval of Missouri Southern.

The idea is to create something that will become an icon; a symbol of the ideals and principles held dear by the University.

This serves as one item on a long list of things that might boost student enrollment and therefore secure revenue for the school.

The problem is that you cannot simply choose to fabricate an icon.

To say such an icon can be fabricated would be comparable to trying to plan spontaneity.

At best, you can assemble random objects in the hopes that you will have selected a useful item should something spontaneous occur.

However, when that random item is a proposed statue valued at approximately $80,000, it becomes a big bet on a bronze beast.

The hope is that this statue will be the result of donations.

If this statue is the result of a generous patron, or patrons, who feels that this display truly is the best use of their donation, then I will have no reservations toward its installation.

Everyone should be free to spend their money as they choose.

However, since we are a state school that runs on tight budgets and the allocation of funds to one area generally means withholding funds from another, I can only hope that the University will not be using its own funds and that our Student Senate will not dedicate any of its resources to the project.

I urge students to make their voices heard.

Students should contact Student Senate and let them know where they stand.