The "Butler Bubble" Wand

According to www.butler.edu, “life at Butler goes way beyond the classroom.” There are over 115 student organizations and clubs on campus. Students are always involved on campus with things other than academics. Other than Butler’s strong extracurricular clubs and activities, Butler values tradition. From “Dominic the Donkey” being played throughout campus from fraternity windows during the holiday season to complaints about the smell and quality of the food at Atherton Union, Butler students share an emotional bond consisting of trends and traditions. One of the most popular and interesting concepts within the trends of Butler students is the “Butler Bubble.” The “Butler Bubble” is an imaginary boundary around Butler University’s campus. It represents the fact that most students at Butler do not need to venture off of campus for needs or amusement; the campus is self-sufficient, in a sense. Many students and faculty members the “Butler Bubble” as a negative concept, but we are proposing to place a piece of artwork on Butler University’s campus to make people think positively about the bubble and reinforce the opinions of people who believe in it.

The statue that represents the “Butler Bubble” will be a relatively large, yellow bubble wand. The wand will be located on the South Mall of campus, near the Star Fountain and Jordon Hall. This is a prime location for the bubble wand statue since Jordon Hall is a very popular academic building for students in all majors. Every student should be reminded of the fact that Butler acts like a large, close-knit family within a bubble. For people who are visiting Butler or are touring campus will notice the statue and may ask about its significance. Along with Butler’s outstanding academic programs, the interest in the close-knit and self-sufficient community on Butler’s campus may allow prospective incoming students to choose Butler as the university that they will attend.

The “Butler Bubble” wand statue would be an asset to Butler campus because it symbolizes the common bond that students share with each other. Since everyone’s college experience is somewhat different than each other’s and everyone interprets artwork differently, the “Butler Bubble” statue can be a piece of public artwork that can be enjoyed by all.