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Some students at Montclair State University are asking why the institution needs to spend $210,000 on a 12-foot bronze statue of the mascot, a red hawk, NorthJersey.com reported. (The design is at right.) The student government previously agreed to pay $100,000 of the costs. Now, some students say that the money is a waste and that there are more important uses for funds. The university released a statement Friday that said: "For centuries, physical symbols, such as public monuments and town square statues, have played an important role in the life and traditions of communities around the world – and a university is very much a community. The idea for a Red Hawk statue originated eight years ago with a group of Montclair State students who wanted to create an iconic symbol that would be placed prominently on campus. Montclair State University adopted the Red Hawk – a mythological bird based on the Red-Tail Hawk that can frequently be seen on campus – as its symbol in 1989 or 25 years ago this past September. For the university community, the Red Hawk has come to stand for the determination of our students to make something important of their lives and for the courage it takes to challenge oneself to truly fulfill one's potential."
