by Leah Crawford
Former Colorado Mesa University biology professor, Bruce Bauerle, decided that the best way to leave his mark on CMU was with an eight-foot tall praying mantis, Lucille, sitting atop Wubben Science Hall.
“I just wanted to leave something to the college because the college has been really good to me,” Bauerle said. “It has been my home. It’s just a way to leave a reminder of me on campus, a little gift to the people who have made my life a lot of fun.”
Bauerle, 72, retired from CMU’s biology department after 46 years of teaching environmental biology courses and survival skills.
“We are going to put it up on the third floor. It’s going to be walking along the roofline looking down on the soccer practice field,” Bauerle said. “I want people to know where the science building is.”
Bauerle’s reasoning for donating a giant bug not only includes his interest in their peculiar look, but their benefit to the environment as well.
“At first I wanted to put a big spider up there,” Bauerle said. “But then we got to thinking that there is so many people afraid of spiders that they wouldn’t even come in the building.”
According to CEO and Vice President of Development Liz Meyer, the sculpture reflects Bauerle’s personality.
“It’s just so Bruce,” Meyer said. “It’s so him to put a giant praying mantis on the building.”
Meyer started a campaign in which the staff and faculty of CMU were encouraged to donate to their passions within the school. However, Bauerle did not only donate to his love of environmental science. He also donated an endowment scholarship of $25,000 specifically for women in financially binding situations.
“I’ve had so many women in my classes over the years that have been divorced, they have had a couple of kids, they’re left without any money, and they’re trying to make it through; they’ve been some of my best students,” Bauerle said. “I want this scholarship to go to the people that are working the hardest and that need the most help.”
The sculpture is exceptionally personal because the artist who is creating the bug was a former student of Bauerle’s.
“It was 1981 when I had him as a teacher. We’re old guys.” Sculptor and biology major Scott Schaffer said. “I could envision it instantly in my imagination.”
Schaffer was quite enthused when Bauerle came to him to create the piece.
“I’ve never sculpted a bug before, let alone a giant one,” Schaffer said. “The challenge was exciting.”
According to Schaffer, the original sculpture is built on an armature which consists of pipe, all thread and bubble wrap.
“I coat that with a mixture of modeling clay and wax that I melt together. Let’s call it clax,” Schaffer said. “I’m hoping to put the finishing touches on the original clax in about a week.”
Schaffer will send the clax piece to Paonia where the molds will be cast into bronze.
As far as Schaffer’s experience with Bauerle as a teacher goes, learning the material required more than just a paper and pencil.
“Bruce was able to connect with us in a way that was beneficial to learning because he got us out in the field a lot,” Schaffer said. “It was very educational and fun – you combine those two things, and it makes for a good learning environment.”
According to Meyer, the nature of the gift is truly unique.
“It’s pretty apparent that he is interested in serving students, and serving students that he has had personal experience with,” Meyer said. “I think this will be something that generations will enjoy as they walk around campus for years to come.”
Schaffer believes the statue can be installed as early as April.
