New University of Kentucky Tradition on Avenue of Champions

00:01 On the same day tens of thousands celebrated the 2012 National Champions becoming part 00:08 Big Blue Basketball history… 00:09 NAT SOUND UP FULL 00:12 …another new tradition popped up on UK's Avenue of Champions as artist Matthew Gray 00:18 Palmer helped install his latest creation, this Wildcat statue. He calls the timing perfect, 00:25 but nerve wracking. 00:25 SOT (Matthew Gray Palmer) 0.27: "I mean I’m always a little bit nervous, and I got a little 00:28 nervous last night at seeing how intensely and passionate everybody is. All I kept thinking 00:34 was ‘Gosh I really hope they like it.” 00:36 The hope is that everyone will love this focal point of the new Wildcat Alumni Plaza. 00:42 SOT (Cammie Grant) 0.45: "This is a long held dream of the Alumni Association to be able 00:47 to present to the University, to the alumni, to students, to all of Kentucky, a gift from 00:53 the Association that will be with us forever." 00:57 Alumni officials say they've always wanted to do something like this but a group of leadership 01:01 students at UK recently reignited the desire. 01:05 SOT (Stan Key) 1.06:"That’s when I thought, ‘Well, if the students are really interested 01:09 in this as we’ve been focusing on student programs over the past several years, let’s 01:14 see what we can do.’ Fortunately, the Officers and Board of Directors agreed and that’s 01:19 how we started moving.” 01:20 A move students appreciate. 01:22 SOT (Nikki Hurt): "Many other schools have some kind of icon that they can rally behind 01:29 that is symbolic of their university and their success, and the University of Kentucky hasn’t 01:35 really had one, so it’s really exciting to be apart of something that is really starting 01:39 a new legacy and a new tradition.” 01:41 A tradition that goes far beyond athletics. 01:43 SOT (Stan Key): "I know the Wildcat came from an athletic origin, but it’s the idea of 01:49 embracing the University and what it stands for and being a symbol.” but It's about 01:55 SOT (Cammie Grant) “We’d like to see that place be the place that we celebrate academic, 01:59 athletic, cultural success of our university. We’d like it to be a place where Alumni 02:04 gather when they come back to campus.” 02:07 So for this artist (and newest UK fan), the future for his masterpiece looks bright. 02:12 SOT (Matthew Gray Palmer) “I can only imagine, you know, the way it is going to be interfaced 02:16 with, you know, people either touching the nose or the paw for good luck. It’s going 02:20 to be burnished off in places and shined up where other people touch it. It’s going 02:24 to have so much character in the ways it is going to be worn and eroded over time with 02:30 love. I mean that’s a really amazing thing." 02:34 For UK Now, I'm Amy Jones. 02:36 ####