Pig Pride: Campus Unveils Winged Marathon Statue
Pigs are now flying on the UC campus, thanks to the new Flying Pig statue that was unveiled and dedicated on May 3 next to Calhoun Hall. The statue is one among a whole passel of winged hogs created for the Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon.
UC President Santa Ono and Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon Executive Director Iris Simpson-Bush unveiled the sculpture, which was designed by UC student Melinda Sekela and painted by UC student Joshua Mindlin. Both are students in the College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning. The colorful swine they created carries depictions of UC buildings, including Lindner Center, the Walker Tower, Steger Center, and Crosley.
President Ono called the UC statue the most beautiful flying pig at the hashtag hottest college in America.
Simpson-Bush also announced plans to launch a College Challenge in 2014 where local college students would compete in Flying Pig races to earn scholarships and raise money for local charities.
Photo of Flying Pig Statue on the Uptown campus of UC
The unveiling and announcement were timed to take place on the same day that the marathons events officially got underway. The statue also marks the partnership between the University of Cincinnati and the Flying Pig Marathon.
According to Simpson-Bush, UC has been a long-time partner of the Flying
Pig, both with its support and with students running and volunteering
at the events.
The UC Flying Pig is for now untitled. The Student Government at UC spearheaded the effort to acquire the pig and will explore whether it should be titled. The pig stands along Calhoun Street, in between the former YMCA building and Calhoun residence hall. Student Government President Joe Blizzard and McMicken College of Arts and Sciences student James Avant IV also participated in the dedication.
The 15th anniversary marathon is taking place May 3 to 5 and is expected to welcome more than 33,000 participants from all 50 states and more than a dozen countries. For more information, visit www.flyingpigmarathon.com.
Related Stories
Scientists craft bold plan to unlock secrets of RNA
May 16, 2024
UC Vice President for Research Patrick Limbach is a key figure in the National Academies’ massive undertaking to sequence RNA in the next 15 years.
Inside the wild ways many creatures make milk
May 14, 2024
UC biologist Joshua Benoit tells Smithsonian that it's not just cows and other mammals that make milk for their newborns. Even some insects like beetle-mimic cockroaches and tsetse flies produce a protein rich "milk" for their babies.
UC grad turns humanities degree into entrepreneurial success
May 14, 2024
Growing up on Ludlow Ave. in the Cincinnati neighborhood of Clifton, Harrison Fowler had planned to enroll in the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) at the University of Cincinnati. UC was close to home, and ROTC seemed like the right choice. But life had other plans. At the last minute, Fowler withdrew from ROTC and enrolled to earn his bachelor’s in Spanish, which meant he needed a study-abroad experience to complete his degree. He was apprehensive, but completed his requirement in Madrid, in a move that would change the direction of his life. Says Fowler of his foreign-language major, and his experience abroad: “Speaking another language opens up a whole other world and relationships for you.”