Beneficence, or Benny to most students, is celebrating her 80th birthday.
Benny, who symbolizes the generosity of the five Ball brothers, has become somewhat of an icon for the university.
Her hand stretches to welcome new students to campus and the treasure box she holds represents the treasure of education. The five columns behind the statue represent the five Ball brothers, for whom the university is named.
She was originally unveiled in 1937, and was the last commissioned work of sculptor Daniel Chester French, the creator of the Abraham Lincoln statue in the Lincoln Memorial.
French never lived to see the completion of Benny, but 11,000 other people donated money to complete the memorial.
Beneficence, or the quality or state of doing or producing good according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, has inspired a pledge for all students on campus.
The Beneficence Pledge states that all members of the Ball State community pledge to maintain high standards of scholarship and excellence, practice academic honesty, act in a socially responsible way and value the intrinsic worth of every member of the community.
There are many myths surrounding Benny, but perhaps the most notable, is the idea that if two students kiss under Benny with their eyes closed and her wings flap, they are meant to be. If Benny does not flap her wings, the love is not true.
In addition, Benny's wings represent the flight students take away from the school after graduate. This is why it has become a tradition for students and families to have their pictures taken with Benny following graduation in the North Quad.
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