🚨 If you’ve signed this petition and haven’t left a comment or made a video yet, please do so. It makes a significant difference when UVU, USHE, and legislators see that we’re actively speaking up for our community. 🚨 WE GOT TWO INTERVIEWS!! One already aired on Fox 13, and another is in the works with a second station. The media is listening, which means UVU is listening too. YOUR COMMENTS MATTER I have cried more than once reading them. Please keep posting, show your UVU merch, and keep sharing your voices. Every signature counts, but if you are a UVU student, parent, or alum, please share that connection in the comments or in videos. Optics matter, and leaders need to see this comes from the UVU community. WE HAVE SEEN THE STATUE CONCEPTS From the beginning we have said that even without Kirk’s direct likeness, the proposed concepts still raise major concerns. We want to share them clearly so you can help show why this is bigger than politics. We also hope UVU leaders and staff reading this will take these concerns seriously. 1. Division and Representation • The legislators backing this project have already shown it to be divisive. For that reason and others, we respectfully request that they step down. • The chosen artist, Ben Hammond, originally agreed to create a statue “in Kirk’s likeness,” and even his updated concepts remain too closely tied to that intent. We also respectfully ask the that he step down as well. • UVU should reconsider the process entirely. If it proceeds, it must bring in new voices and perspectives that genuinely reflect the full campus community. 2. Enrollment and Belonging • A monument tied to one political figure risks alienating LGBTQ+ students, non-Christians, and others. • This could deter future enrollment and harm UVU’s reputation as an inclusive campus. • UVU’s promise of “You Belong” must apply to everyone. 3. Long Term Impact • UVU is already under a spotlight it did not choose. • A statue would prolong that scrutiny for years. • Most vocal supporters are not UVU students. They will not live with the daily impact on campus life. A UVU memorial should represent UVU students first. We are so grateful for your support. This may have started with two students, but it takes all of us. And as you advocate, take care of yourself. These are tough times, so try not to be tough on yourself or others. I know it is not easy, but in the words of JFK, “we do these things not because they are easy, but because they are hard.”