Students have seen some pretty questionable art come and go on UF’s campus in recent years — most notably the monstrous, ugly Plaza of the Americas couple-dancing sculpture/glorified Krishna-lunch bench. We get that art serves several purposes, but come on, those creepy life-like statues of people around campus that were recently removed served no other purpose than to scare freshman walking home from Gator Corner Dining Center late at night.
We reported Tuesday that a UF student proposed an art installation that would actually serve a purpose. Clint Ferguson, a 20-year-old UF business management sophomore, envisions a hydrotechnic fountain system installed in the Reitz Union fountain. The Reitz fountain, a popular student hangout spot on nice days, would be the perfect location for a Disney-inspired hydrotechnic fountain display, he argued.
He’s been making serious moves in achieving his goal, too. He got a quote from Disney Adventure Park in California, has proposed the idea to the Reitz Union Board and recruited the help of Gator Robotics to build the display, which would shoot colored water into the air in sync with music.
“By day, the pond would have a peaceful, pulsing fountain to give you something to drown out the cars and buses,” he told the Alligator. “By night, there would be 30-minute, fully choreographed water shows with lasers and lights, all set to music.”
If that doesn’t sound hella dope, we don’t know what does.
It’s a good idea, and UF students have the chops to make it a reality. After all, UF’s Society of Automotive Engineers manufacture a small-scale Formula One car every year, relying completely on the labor and craft of UF students. It seems plausible, then, that students could produce a hydrotechnic fountain display.
The project certainly aligns with UF’s mission to “educate students so they are prepared to make significant contributions within an increasingly global community.” Obviously, it’s the dream of all students to leave a lasting mark on the place they’ve spent years developing their personalities and honing their skills in whichever fields they choose. Although this dream may seem like a novelty on the surface, it represents an opportunity to engage a variety of students on campus and create something that no other university has.
The Reitz Union Board and other campus organizations will encourage the endeavor through funding, labor, Student Government legislation and whatever else is needed to make the idea a reality. Ferguson told the Alligator he needs students’ help on five different components of the display’s infrastructure: lighting, hydraulics, electronics, software and sound. We think UF students are up to the task.
Besides, the Reitz fountain is a high-traffic area for visiting families and alumni. What better way to illustrate their tuition and donation dollars at work than by displaying the results of an awesome student project?
[A version of this editorial ran on page 6 on 3/19/2014 under the headline "Light It Up: LED fountain idea perfect for Reitz"]
