PROVO — A new cougar statue was presented to Brigham Young University's athletic department as part of this year's homecoming celebration.
The bronze statue, called "Turning Point," was unveiled Friday evening to donors and project participants in its new home in the Student Athlete Building.
"We hope this statue will come to be a symbol of not only what BYU athletics has been through the years, but also what it will continue to become," said Alan Hyde, president of the Arizona chapter of the Cougar Club, before the unveiling of the statue.
The statue depicts a running cougar turning to pursue its prey. The cougar in the statue, which is about 10 feet long, is frozen in momentum, its eyes aiming directly at visitors who enter the Legacy Hall in the Student Athlete building. It weighs about 1,000 pounds, artist Jocelyn Russell said.
"I wish I could have been here when they drug it in the door," she said.
The chapter funded and donated the statue, a project in the making for the past four years, said Daniel Foote, president-elect of the Arizona chapter.
Participants and donors in the process of bringing the statue to BYU hope the cougar will inspire students and alumni throughout the years.
"It will carry its own meaning for each generation and it will carry on the Cougar tradition," said David Alcorn, a former member of the executive committee of the Cougar Club. He helped spearhead the effort to bring the statue to BYU.
He said he hopes the statue will especially inspire future generations of athletes and sports fans.
"By all means," he said, "go Cougars."
Nine donors funded the statue and a donation of some $40,000 to BYU athletics.
Donor Timothy Olson said the statue and its title also give a broader message.
"To me, 'Turning Point' is a more universal message that wherever you are, whatever you're doing, you can always improve, always change and make yourself better," he said.
The statue was originally intended to be displayed outdoors, but due to a moratorium on outdoor statues on BYU campus, the statue was placed in the Student Athlete Building.
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