Alma Mater restoration update
Updated: October 1, 2012
URBANA -- We have an update on the Alma Mater statue from the University of Illinois campus. University leaders decided to take it down this summer to be restored. This week they found out it was going to be a lot more work than they thought.
Officials want to have the statue back so the newest graduates can take pictures next to it. But, there's a lot of work to do before May.
The director for the restoration group says he was surprised when he looked inside the statue. Not only did they find out the Alma Mater had been badly corroded, it also had residue left behind from graffiti. That makes it even more difficult to get the statue back to how she used to be.
Workers plan to clean the statue with a laser because they say that's the best way to preserve it. The director says he would recommend taking it apart, piece by piece, and cleaning it that way. But it's up to the university to decide what happens from here.
School leaders say they plan to talk about the different options at some point next week. It's not clear if this will cost the university more money or take extra time. The original budget for the restoration was $100,000.
Officials want to have the statue back so the newest graduates can take pictures next to it. But, there's a lot of work to do before May.
The director for the restoration group says he was surprised when he looked inside the statue. Not only did they find out the Alma Mater had been badly corroded, it also had residue left behind from graffiti. That makes it even more difficult to get the statue back to how she used to be.
Workers plan to clean the statue with a laser because they say that's the best way to preserve it. The director says he would recommend taking it apart, piece by piece, and cleaning it that way. But it's up to the university to decide what happens from here.
School leaders say they plan to talk about the different options at some point next week. It's not clear if this will cost the university more money or take extra time. The original budget for the restoration was $100,000.
