Stop for a second.

A symbol is something that represents or stands for something else.

The cross, the gun, the TV screen and the iPhone are all symbols we respond to every day. Our life is founded and directed by the interpretation of symbols in society.

When you come to campus you are greeted with screens, bricks, windows and other students. It’s easy to get distracted with the tempo and not pay attention to symbols on campus: sculptures.

Sculptures are art. Art is a way to express ideas, emotions and feelings in an abstract way. Art is full of symbols. Pay attention.

With 76 works spread across the campus, the Wichita State campus boasts one of the largest outdoor sculpture collections of any university in the country.

If you pay attention, these sculptures can enlighten your mental spirit on the aspect of your life.

WSU graduate student Joyce St. Clair is a sculptor and teaches art and foundation classes in the School of Art & Design. She said in order to appreciate sculptures, people have to give them more than a passing glance.

“Students need to be encouraged to investigate further into art,” St. Clair said. “They are expecting too much from it on first glance. They see something that is not immediately recognizable and that turns them back. It’s that lack of immediate recognition that should intrigue students.”

When you pass by sculptures, you are not going to understand the meaning right away. But that’s art.

Donna Ozawa is an artist whose work is displayed in the Ulrich Museum.

“The way art is, it doesn’t necessarily hit you on the head with an anvil,” Ozawa said. “It goes in the back door. This is a way artists communicate — by suggesting an image that you already know.”

Good things don’t come easily. By putting the effort into analyzing sculptures, you can develop new ways of looking at the world.

This can make you more aware of everything around you, and help you understand your life in the greater scheme of the universe.

Pay attention, ponder, and muse on sculptures. Sacrifice a little of your time.

Because what would the cross be without the sacrifice? Or the iPhone without the software built from years of work by faceless Apple employees?

Pick up next Wednesday’s paper for my interpretation of the sculpture, “Krefe-Aekyad”, located just south of the Engineering building. I invite you to check it out, and see what different conclusions we arrive at.