Incident being investigated as oil magnate bids for CU presidency
A portrait of Bruce Benson in the Benson Earth Sciences building was vandalized Monday morning as Benson himself made his way to CU to meet with students.
“It’s as stupid, senseless, immature act,” said CU spokesman Bronson Hilliard. “It’s just somebody destroying property.”
Hilliard said that the vandalism probably occurred between 10 p.m. Sunday, when the library in Benson Earth Sciences closed, and when the building opened on Monday.
The vandalized portrait was removed around 9 a.m. Monday morning.
Hilliard said that the incident is being investigated, and that the university is going to try to get the painting restored.
Hilliard did not have an estimate of how much the vandalism would cost to fix.
CU announced last Wednesday that Bruce Benson was the sole remaining candidate to replace Hank Brown as the president of CU.
Benson came to CU on Monday for an open forum from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m., after which he appeared in a meeting of CU faculty from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Several students said they were not happy to hear about the vandalism after the open forum with Benson.
“It’s a shame that people think they have to do something like that,” said Ashley Jerlow, a freshman open option major. “I think there are better ways to protest than to vandalize school property.”
Contact Campus Press Staff Writer Sam Dieter at samuel.dieter@thecampuspress.com
