At Grand Valley State University, the pendulum has become a tradition for students and a fiasco for faculty and staff. After the removal of the artwork, many students wanted to know if and when it would be coming back to campus. Last week, the pendulum committee met to discuss the final details on the reinstallation, which is expected to be completed by Dec. 7.

“We hope to have a formal reopening event when the whole thing is done,” said Tim Thimmesch, associate vice president for Facilities Services at GVSU. “There are quite a few students who have stopped by and taken pictures of the construction.”

Bart Merkle, vice provost for Student Affairs and dean of students, suggested to the rest of the committee that a video is made and sent to CNN and other news stations that picked up the story about the pendulum to let them know what’s happened since.

“When it’s all set and done, we want to get a splash out of that, too,” Thimmesch said. “Students are very respectful for the artwork we have on campus, and if we truly make it an exhibit, I think there will be a greater respect for what’s there.”

Thimmesch added that the construction to reinstall the pendulum will cost the university about $30,000 total.

“It’s important to do it right,” he said. “There’s a risk management side of it, and the cost is minimal as to what could have happened.”

Committee members have contacted the family of the artist and have heard that, so far, the family is pleased with the construction and the plans for the piece.

While approving of what plans the committee members have decided upon for reinstallation, Merkle said he still has some concerns about the student body.

“As a piece of art, I think it will be way better understood and explained,” Merkle said. “Whether it will change the student culture is my concern.”

He added that even though students will no longer be able to swing on the pendulum, the photo opportunity may be too enticing.

“I think the culture among students is not going to go away,” he said. “It doesn’t matter if you have to climb over a fence. The reality is that even if someone climbs in there, it’s less for a full swing and more for a photo opp.”

Merkle added that while swinging on the pendulum has been considered a tradition among GVSU students, the faculty and staff had no idea how deeply engrained the tradition was on campus.

“There is something to be said for institutional traditions,” Merkle said. “There was a quiet tradition among students that we absolutely had no idea how big it was; the students did, but we didn’t.”

The pendulum construction, when finished, will have educational signage telling students of the physics element and the artwork and history sides of the pendulum.

“It’s all very user-friendly,” Thimmesch said. “An important piece of the design is that it’s handicap accessible.”