Nashville freshmen Tate Goins and Russ Pappas had different ideas on the monetary value of the Centennial statue on the mall by the Downing University Center.

“Two thousand dollars,” Goins guessed, while Pappas estimated the red statue at $15,000. “Centennial,” sculpted by Gino Miles and unveiled in 2006, cost Western $42,000, according to information collected by Deborah Wilkins, the chief of staff and general counsel.

All of the campus art was paid off last year, and none has been purchased since then, President Gary Ransdell said.

Pappas said he would’ve liked to see more parking spaces instead of a statue.

“I don’t think it’s worth it,” he said.

“I really think it’s silly, especially since we’re going to be charged an extra $30 a credit hour next semester,” Goins said.

“I love it,” said Jacqui Lubbers, a part-time faculty member who teaches weaving and art appreciation. “I think any art is better than no art at all.”

Lubbers said the bronze sculpture behind Gordon Wilson Hall, “Trust,” is her favorite.

Western has a $330 million budget, a third of which comes from tuition. Faculty and staff salaries use $151 million of the budget, Ransdell said. About $338,000 has been spent on some campus artwork. A separate $262,400 was donated privately and spent on statues such as Diddle and Guthrie.

Funds budgeted in previous years that remain unspent become carry-forward funding, Chief Financial Officer Jim Cummings said.

The surplus funds from that fiscal year are used however a particular department chooses, while general institution funding isn’t charged to a specific budget or department, Cummings said.

Lubbers said the pieces would increase in monetary value. Students don’t complain about the Cherry statue, but they tend to be afraid of what they’re not used to, she explained.

“But if they don’t understand it [they say], ‘What is it supposed to be? A bottle opener or a vagina?’”

At a picnic table outside the fine arts center, Nashville senior Donnie Faires, an art/graphic design major, sat smoking a pipe.

“Aesthetically, I don’t like all of them, but I do appreciate them,” Faires said of the campus art. “I value all art.”

Though many students like the art, some think it would mean more if it were homegrown.

“I think statues and art on campus is fine as long as it’s created by the art department,” said Bate Shop employee and Ekron junior Anthony Cole.

However, the only campus art created by a Western alumnus are the Diddle and Guthrie statues.

“That’s why I came to Western, because it looks tons better than Eastern,” Cole said chuckling.

Henderson freshman Felix Perrone stopped and looked at “Centennial” as he walked down the Hill.

“Anything at all would have been better than that,” he said.

At Java City in DUC, Louisville juniors Nic Brent and Carvez Gibbs, along with Louisville sophomore Marcus Wester, agreed.

“Give me $100,000, and I’ll make you something,” Gibbs quipped.

Brent said that as long as the campus art doesn’t come out of tuition money, he wouldn’t have a problem with it. Wester said “so much more could have been done” with the money allotted for campus art.

“Keep in mind that art appreciation is a part of our educational experience at WKU,” Ransdell said. “Many across campus would suggest a piece of outdoor art is as important to our educational experience as a computer or a microscope.”

Shelbyville senior Justin Turner compared the abundance of campus art to the new football field.

“I view it just the same – it looks nice, but I’d rather pay cheaper tuition.”