A student-created landmark was chopped down this weekend at Ball State. All that is left of the famous "Gum Tree" is its stump, gum intact.
When students found out, posts of disapproval started surfacing all over social media, especially Twitter. As word spread, more and more students demanded answers.
Ball State chopped down the gum tree!?!?!?! pic.twitter.com/ETF5Neobsx
— Stephanie Kailey (@snkailey) May 15, 2017
“I honestly believe that it was an iconic part of Ball State, like Frog Baby, or Benny," Jimmy Ray, junior sports administration major said. "I'm kind of upset and confused."
Ray is familiar with the tree and would often add to it whenever he passed by, however even students who haven’t personally put a piece of gum on the tree feel it was a special part of campus.
“I was sad when I found out it’d been cut down," Katelyn Mooney, junior fashion merchandising major said. "It was kinda gross but it was a landmark and was on my Ball State bucket list to put gum on it.”
The tree, located near the parking garage behind Bracken Library and Pruis Hall, was so popular that there is a Twitter account dedicated to it.
Just like Groot, I'll grow back.
— Gum Tree (@BSUGumTree) May 14, 2017
IndyStar reported that university spokesperson Joan Todd said the tree was removed to make way for a new "walking mall," which according to the campus master plan, will be used as a new pedestrian and bicycle path between the east side of campus and the Jo Ann Gora Student Recreation and Wellness Center.
One question that remains is why so much of the tree’s stump was left. Several students have expressed wanting to start a new gum tree somewhere on campus, but Mooney admits that the new tree still “won’t be the same.”
@BallState take a bulldozer to frog baby while you're at it!!! This is just sad, you have killed a tradition!!!!! https://t.co/pzLK8qT7gv
— Julianna Shamel (@juliannashamel) May 14, 2017
This story will be updated.
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