The Hand of Friendship

There is one thing that I pass by almost every day that catches my eye at Illinois State University. It is the “Hand of Friendship” in honor of Robert G. Bone.  I think that the structure is interesting and original. Usually when you see something that is in honor of an important person, it is a statue of them, or a stone, or sometimes even a tree! I think that the hand is unique and really shows that Robert G. Bone was a very important person in making Illinois State University the way it is.  I had already come to a conclusion that the Bone Student Center was named after Robert G. Bone himself. The student center is a place for events, different types of foods, and an area where students can go and hang out and study. I think that Robert G. Bone wanted to unite Illinois State University and having the Bone Student Center named after him is perfect because that is exactly what it does.
            Robert G. Bone was the president of Illinois State University from 1956-1967. When he first became president there were 3,211 students and 286 faculty members. Bone knew almost every student and faculty member on campus. He was friendly and strived to make Illinois State a better place. By the end of his term, Illinois State increased enrollment from roughly 3,000 students to around 11,000. Faculty salaries were almost doubled by the end of his term as well. He contributed to the high-rise residence halls and, by the end of his term, there was a completely different skyline of Illinois State. An article published in 1991 by the Chicago Tribune had a statement from Earl A. Reitan, a former student of Dr. Bone: “He loved to see and be seen, saying hello to students on their way to class. He wasn`t one to hide behind oaken doors. He was very outgoing. He would wait until the campus was full of students before he would take a morning walk.”
            I think Robert G. Bone made a great contribution to Illinois State University and its current environment. He wasn’t a typical president of a university; he interacted with his students and really tried to make sure they received the education they deserved. He really cared about his students, which I feel doesn’t really happen nowadays.  Robert G. Bone wasn’t only a great president of Illinois State University, but also a great man who will always be remembered. --Fay Velblum

The Hand of Friendship

This is statue of a hand on the quad at ISU. I found this statue particularly interesting. I think it seems like a random piece to put in the middle of the quad. I liked my picture of the statue for three main reasons.  There is a lot in the background, the shadows make it very unique, and statue itself seems very old.

Even though the statue is the main piece, there is a lot to look at in this picture. It appears that the background goes on forever. I think this happens because there is a hill behind the statue.  The dark green trees make the statue really pop in the picture. This picture would look a lot worse if the statue was located in a parking lot or an open field. The statue is also elevated off the ground. It’s almost to the point where, when you walk by, it’s at eye level.

One of my favorite things about this picture is the shadows. If you look close enough, you can see my shadow as I was taking the picture. This picture was taken around six o’clock at night and I think that was a good time. The shadows also come through the trees and illuminate the grass behind the statue. The shadows darken the green grass and make it seem like the sun is “cooking” the rest. The sun also cuts through the trees and makes some of the leaves different colors. It would be interesting to take this same picture in two weeks and see how much the color changes.

When I first looked at this statue, it seemed like it was very old. One reason was that I thought the hand was made out of copper. I think copper turns that bluish color after many years.  The detail on the hand is not great either. I feel like statues today have a lot more detail. The concrete around the lettering also looks very worn. It seems like this statue has lasted through many winters and, through the years, age has enhanced the lettering on the front side. -- Josh Dieckman