Two weeks ago, there appeared mysteriously on the west lawn of the Busch Student Center a gigantic, ivy bush in the vague shape of our beloved Billiken. For whom or what purpose this addition was intended is still uncertain. As far as we can tell, no one among the student body was crusading for the installation of an oversized shrubbery on the lawn of their union. Apparently, University officials just decided that the best way to spruce up one of the most unwelcoming architectural edifices in Midtown was to plant a towering topiary right in front of it. It’s too bad most students don’t walk anywhere near it (many students do not even know this new Billiken sculpture even exists), and the motorists on Grand Blvd. probably just don’t care.But that was two weeks ago. In the days following the arrival of the big bush, those of us who actually saw this thing got all the jokes and puns out of our systems, shook our heads in befuddlement and chalked up this new visitor as yet another one of this campus’ strange, permanent guests.But then came the eyes. And the smirk. And the moniker.It seems those who conceived of the big bush found it was not being received as well as had been hoped. So they powered up their color printer and spit out some blurry, pixelated blue-and-white eyes, smile and “SLU” letters, and pasted them onto the plant itself.Who puts a sign on a bush? This is, after all, a Jesuit university. We would hope that anyone who cared enough to investigate this bundle of foliage would be able to quickly induce that it was a leafy representation of our mascot.And for those motorists and pedestrians who are simply passing by? Well, they’re just out of luck if they missed our “Saint Louis University” stamp on the wrought-iron arch down by Reinert; or the ones at Grand Blvd. and West Pine Mall; or on all the street signs at the intersection of Grand and Forest Park Pkwy., and at Grand and Laclede Ave., and at Grand and West Pine, and at Grand and Lindell Blvd., and at Lindell and Spring St. and even down at Lindell and Vandaventer Avenue- not to mention the blaring, blue sign hovering 17 stories in the air atop Griesedieck Hall.This week marks the beginning of a school-wide spirit initiative. We’re excited about it, but we’re troubled by the fact that, while student leaders are making strides to bolster this school’s opinion of itself, its professional administrators are willing to let this kind of pap represent SLU to the outside community-and our new freshmen.We weren’t thrilled about the new Billiken in the first place, but if it’s here to stay, please leave the new placards where they belong-on the drawingroom floor.