A statue of Benjamin Franklin at the University of Pennsylvania was apparently used as a urinal for some drunk undergrad, prompting outrage from a fellow student from the Republic of Macedonia who observed the indecent behavior.
Stefan Ivanovski, a graduate student in the school of design, wrote an op-ed in The Daily Pennsylvanian student newspaper that Franklin – who founded UPenn – is a revered academic role model, one he hopes to emulate when he returns to his home country to help create and sustain economic viability there.
That’s why Ivanovski said he was insulted and furious at what he witnessed.
“This Saturday night, I was confronted with an image of appalling proportions,” he wrote in his Sept. 29 op-ed. “As I was coming back to my apartment after meeting with a friend, I biked past the Benjamin Franklin statue seated on a bench right by Locust Walk. I was shocked to see a drunk, American college-aged male urinating on Benjamin Franklin’s statue, while his friend was checking his phone, waiting for him as if nothing unusual was happening. When I asked him what he was doing, he just told me to ‘shake it off,’ and he continued about his business. I was outraged, so I immediately phoned public safety to report the incident.”
Ivanovski went on to note that, for one, it’s gross and unsanitary behavior for a popular campus bench, one on which many a picture is snapped.
“Second of all,” he added, “I am not an American and I felt disgusted that somebody would show disrespect to Benjamin Franklin and everything he embodies. I really look up to Benjamin Franklin for the legacy he has established. He is a true role model for me (as I assume he is for many others). I aspire to leave a legacy like he did, so this is why I felt very offended on a personal level.”
IMAGE: PSGreen01/Flickr
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