President Michael Drake announced in a school-wide email this morning that the face masks being issued to students and staff arriving on campus in the fall will each feature the image of a silly Garfield comic strip. This announcement comes days after Garfield creator Jim W. Davis made a donation of $1.4 million to the University.
Davis, who didn’t go here or anything, reportedly told President Drake, “I didn’t go here or anything, but here’s $1.4 million.”
Although Garfield masks seem pretty baller, many students, even those currently pursuing their degrees in Garfield Studies, find this spending decision to be frivolous.
“Knowing that OSU could have instead put the money toward things like better funding for mental health resources, services for minority students, and financial aid doesn’t sit well with me,” says Ella Sen, a rising third-year in Garfield Studies. “And printing comics on our masks won’t make us any safer. They’re just there for decoration.”
“We believe this is something students want,” writes President Drake. “These are uncertain times, and we are working hard to ensure a safe and supportive campus environment. We are confident that these Garfield-themed masks will have a positive impact on the emotional well-being of our student population. Just like our big tower did.”
Some of the comic strips to be featured are the one where Garfield smokes a pipe; the one where Jon says “Who greased my weiner?”; and the one that was in the paper on the day my nephew Steven was born.
Individuals will not have the opportunity to choose which comics appear on their masks. More information regarding appropriate face coverings will be released at some unspecified time in the future.
Written by Sarah Palazzo, Editor-in-Chief