Sorority donates new lion statue

On Feb. 28, students arrived for classes to find a new addition to the outside of the Sam Rayburn Student Center, a brass lion statue donated to the university by the Gamma Upsilon Chapter of Kappa Delta in honor of their 50th anniversary.

Senior business administration major and Kappa Delta President, Jewell Malick, said the sorority wanted to donate something permanent to the university.

"We chose the lion to commemorate our 50 years of being on campus," Malick said.  "We celebrated our 50^th anniversary on September 14, 2010 with more than 2,000 active members and alumnae, but we had been working on coordinating the donation for quite some time before that."

One alumna in particular, Tracey Wolfe, was very involved in the contribution and began developing the project in July 2010. 

"Tracey was the chairman for the anniversary event and really made it possible to present the lion," Malick said.  "After coming up with the idea, she contacted the university to get the ball rolling."

Wolfe did have some help from the Kappa Delta planning committee, but Malick said the girls [of Kappa Delta] credit most of the work to her.

"I did come up with the ‘lion idea' on my own this summer," Wolfe said.  "I knew our 50th anniversary event was coming up and I wanted to give something substantial to the university."

The bronze lion stands on a cement surface surrounded by new greenery.

"Initially, I spoke with a gentleman in maintenance about the location of the statue," Wolfe said.  "We looked at several potential sites on campus before deciding on placing it near the student center.  After choosing a location, I sought approval from Dr. Randy Van Deven who was very supportive of the project."

Many students, such as sophomore radio television major Jordan Owens, did not know that the project was under way until the lion suddenly appeared.

"I was going to work on Feb. 27 and noticed the massive ‘king of the jungle' in front of the entrance to the student center," Owens said.  "It took me by surprise at first because it is so realistic."

Although Wolfe and several active members of Kappa Delta had been working on the project for an estimated eight months, they did not publicize the development of the lion.  There is not a plaque or engraving near or on the lion stating its purpose or who funded it.

"I was not aware [at the time I saw it] that the Kappa Delta sorority donated the lion to the university, but the addition of this statue to our campus is a smart move, in my opinion," Owens said.  "The lion adds artistic value to A&M-Commerce and has the potential to possibly increase school spirit."

Wolfe also mentioned school spirit and said it was one of the motivators behind the project.

"I am very proud to have given [the lion] to the university, but I didn't do it for myself," she said.  "I did it for Kappa Delta of course, but also for the students who will see it for decades."