Although UMBC is known primarily for its emphasis on STEM, art still finds its way onto campus, and this fall, one of the most revolutionary, beautiful pieces will be welcomed. In front of the Commons building, a statue of President Freeman Hrabowski will overshadow all of UMBC’s scholars and students.
The statue is projected to be 600 feet tall. That’s as tall as at least 100 stacked Hrabowskis. The world’s current tallest statue, the Spring Temple Buddha in China, is only 502 feet tall. However, once the Statue of Unity is finished being built, it will be about 597 feet tall.
It doesn’t take a mathematics major to recognize that 600 is greater than 502, making UMBC’s Hrabowski statue the tallest in the world. The statue is sure to become the eighth wonder of the world with its height, eye-catching quality, and overall symbolism.
President Hrabowski is known for his kind, selfless character, so a striking, 600-foot statue in his honor is the perfect representation of such an egoless man. This statue will be visible from all over campus and even the state. People will come to Maryland specifically to see this record-breaking statue.
Students seem elated to see UMBC’s new addition this fall. Ido N’tcare, a social work major scheduled to graduate in 2020, said, “Usually huge statues are devoted to religious figures or major historical heroes, so this is a nice change.” Another student, Ijast Needa Pass, a biology major projected to graduate in 2019, enthusiastically said, “I don’t know, man. I’m just glad my tuition money is getting put to good use.”
Of all student replies, Pawp Ride’s seems to be the most accurate and relatable. The finance major planning to graduate in fall 2018 said, “I was gonna transfer, but then I learned this statue was being built, and all I could think was, ‘UMD doesn’t have that.’”
The statue will not increase student tuition at all. The construction of the statue is being entirely funded by Math. Yes, the entire subject of study, Math, will be paying for a 600-foot-tall statue of our president. Math even agreed to pay for accessories.
The statue will come with a variety of additional pieces including a scarf and hat for the winter season, a pair of bunny ears for the spring and even a UMBC basketball team jersey for year-round pride.
Students should be excited to know that the statue is entirely interactive. In fact, the statue will be equipped with a motion sensor and will shout out an inspirational quote each time a student passes, so President Hrabowski’s wise words will only be a short walk away.
Building will begin this summer, and the statue is scheduled for completion in fall 2018. All UMBC students will come back from summer break to one of the world’s greatest pieces of art on their very own campus. Check out the new statue this fall. You can’t miss it (literally — it’s 600 ft tall).
