Recently a white pine tree located adjacent to the Fine Arts building was chopped down. Instead of disposing of it, the tree was given to the Arts Department to use for creating new wooden carvings.

According to sculpture professor Francisco Perez, the tree had been infested with pine beetles and was cut down due to liability. Its trunk was sawed into segments, and now lies where it once stood.

Professor Perez is currently in the process of carving a piece of the trunk, and once completed plans to put it on display on campus. "The idea is to reuse, reconstitute, give them some more life," he said.

Fine Arts major Yu Nakayama is currently working on piece using wood from the chopped down tree.

Her piece will be a carving of the torso of a female figure that she plans on dressing with spikes.

Though her piece does not necessarily have a message, her inspiration comes from awkward encounters.

"When I go to a club or bar for dancing, guys come behind us and I didn't like it, so I decided to make clothes with spikes on it."