Miami University 3 Dimensional Seal
<a href="https://imgbb.com/"><img src="https://image.ibb.co/eWXvYy/15004862199_036dccef03_m.jpg" alt="15004862199_036dccef03_m" border="0"></a><p>Located on the second floor of the Armstrong Student Center, The Great Seal, was a $20,000 project that was unveiled to the public on February 7th, 2014, when the Student Center first opened its doors to the public. The Great Seal, is a three dimensional replica of the two dimensional University Seal, located outside of Upham Hall. Designed by Robert Keller, Miami’s planning and design manager, as well as Miami alumni, to link Miami University’s past, present, and future. The Great Seal is a three foot deep, twelve foot in diameter circle covered with a plexiglass sheet. It features a telescope, globe, book, rope, bricks, rotunda stones, depiction of Oxford’s night, sky, and Miami’s University Motto. Each object exhibited in the seal are real three dimensional objects that were created by Miami students or recovered from past construction projects on campus. The telescope in the Great Seal is a fragment of a larger telescope that was recovered from Culler Hall’s Observatory. According to Dr. Phillip R. Shriver, "The telescope represents the future, man's continuing quest to find meaning in the universe. Why are we here, on this particular planet, amid a galaxy of other planets and stars? The telescope is used to scan the universe and push back the frontiers of knowledge." The Great Seal’s Globe, represents,” The present moment shared by all.” Along with the telescope, this globe was also recovered from the Culler Hall’s Observatory. The Globe is a celestial globe, which is a globe that features the stars instead of the seven continents. Ben Mark, a master’s student at Miami in Metalsmithing, was commissioned by Robert Keller to create the bronze continents that currently float a quarter inch above the globe’s surface. The book featured in the Great Seal, represents, “ The past and the accumulated wisdom of the centuries passed to the present generation through reading.” The book is open to an essay titled, We On a Path to Wisdom. This essay, written by Amanda Hancock, a Miami student double majoring in Journalism and Professional Writing, was the grand prize winner of the Great Seal Writing Contest, held in spring of 2013. The essay strives to sum up the campus experience of the entire student body at Miami University. Donated by the Delta Upsilon Fraternity, The Great Seal also features four interwoven ropes measuring eighty feet in length wrapped around a bent steel pipe. Nathan Foley, a master’s student studying sculpture, was commissioned to design how the the ropes would be interwoven and wrapped around the pipe. Sixy bricks are featured inside of the great seal, as well. These bricks were recovered from past construction projects on Miami’s campus and represent the original sixty dots on were on the original two dimensional seal. Surrounding the seal are 153, 30” by 20”, arched rotunda stones dedicated to individuals, couples, families, and groups that contributed to the Armstrong Student Center. Each stone displays the donators last name in all Caps and requires a minimum of a 20,000 dollar donation to the student center. The background of the Seal is a representation of Oxford’s night sky on February 17, 1809, which is Miami University's Charter Day. The brighter stars are illuminated by thirty two fiber-optic lights; including: the Moon, Venus, Jupiter, and Mercury. The seal also contains two latin phrases. The first is Miami’s motto: Prodesse Quam Conspici, which translates to english as,” to accomplish without being conspicuous.” The second Latin phrase is contained on the seal’s broder, Sigillum Universitatis Miamiensis. Which translates to English as, “The seal of Miami University.” “The Great Seal: Rope, Border, Bricks, and Motto.” The Great Seal: Rope, Border, Bricks, and Motto - Miami University, miamioh.edu/great-seal/framework/index.html.