10
The College of New Jersey Magazine
P R A I R I E
Point
of pride
Alumnus adds a big roar
to school spirit.
WHEN WILLIAM McLAGAN '87
returned for Homecoming 2018, many
of the recent updates to campus
impressed him. But one new feature —
a 3,000-pound bronze lion on the prowl
between the Brower Student Center and
the Art and Interactive Multimedia
Building — stood out.
"This was a dream of mine since I was
a student here," says McLagan, who
financed the sculpture. A retired U.S.
Army colonel who lives in Colorado
Springs, Colorado, McLagan is big on
tradition. He hopes the statue will bolster
the pride students and alumni have
for the college.
"It brings great school spirit to see
our mascot within the hub of campus life,"
says Brooke Chlebowski '19, student
government president. Chlebowski says
she can't wait to see what kinds of
traditions are created around the
statue — such as rubbing its paw before
a big exam or taking graduation photos in
front of it.
"It all came together," says McLagan.
"I couldn't be happier."
—Kara Pothier
