The act of censorship should be reserved for extreme circumstances. The censorship imposed on a sculpture in Tandy Hall was uncalled for.Not only does censorship breach the right to free speech, but it also undermines the intelligence of the students on campus.

A 2-foot sculpture of a monkey that was anatomically correct was removed after two days of being on display in the building.

Faculty and staff said the piece of art was removed because they did not feel it was appropriate to be displayed in a workplace setting.

The sculpture was originally put on display with the monkey wearing a diaper to hide its nether regions, but the artist, Clayton Hurt, removed the cover-up a day later.

Hurt said he wanted people to have the chance to see his original concept.

It isn’t too much to ask of the faculty to let a student artist express his creativity.

Art is supposed to be interpretive and adding additional materials takes away from others’ opportunity to read into the piece.

Adding the diaper was absolutely ridiculous. It is like putting a stain on someone’s masterpiece. How would Michelangelo feel if someone put a diaper on the Statue of David?

Young children visit the zoo daily and are exposed to naked monkeys, so why is a sculpture of a monkey offensive to a group of adults who are suppose to be intellectuals?

Although some people might appreciate in Hurt’s work, that does not mean it should be denied to the rest of the university to view.

The point is art is meaningful to someone, and obviously the sculpture in question is no different, seeing as it sold for $500 after its removal.

The next time university officials think about censoring a student’s work, it should have just cause.

Features editor Jeff Eskew for the editorial board.