Hidden in a desolate area of Echo Park lies a table sculpture that was installed in September of 1981 for approximately $10,000 – $21,000 in 2004 dollars. It’s now surrounded by woods and weeds.

“The Six Questions,” was designed by artist Steven Beyer and was originally purchased by the Student Association to promote NIU’s growth via art, said Gilbert Diaz, SA art curator for the Campus Activities Board.

Diaz said the bench is made out of four concrete foundations measuring 12 inches by 72 inches by 42 inches for a volume of 84 cubic feet of concrete.

The six questions, engraved in large, capital letters on the surface of the table are: “Do you need a bath,” “Are you going home,” “Do you cry,” “Have you been introduced,” “What is your next move” and “Do you know the facts?”

The questions are based on Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs – physiological, safety, emotional, respect of others, self-fulfillment and search of knowledge and beauty, Diaz said.

Bob Albanese, associate vice president of finance and facilities, said Beyer’s sculpture was originally located in the Martin Luther King Memorial Commons area from the mid- to late-1980s. The piece is “supposed to capture the essence of NIU students with the six most commonly asked NIU questions,” he said.

The sculpture was relocated to the West Lagoon between 1991 and 1992 due to renovation of the commons, Albanese said. From 2000 to 2003, the West Lagoon underwent a storm water management project to expand the area, which forced the 48-foot bench to be relocated to its current position in Echo Park.

“If someone told me they would rather have it in a different area, we could certainly move it,” Albanese said.

Sociology professor Eleanor Godfrey said “The Six Questions” was probably relocated because it was not well received by people and created “quite a stir on campus.”

According to documents in NIU’s Regional History Center, the table “ignited an immediate controversy; a culture war NIU had not experienced since the 1960s. Partisans of the table defended the acquisition as an enhancement to NIU’s cultural environs. Opponents, however, attacked the large purchase cost and aesthetic value of the monstrosity.”

According to a Northern Star article published in September 1981, three hours after the piece was installed, it was vandalized by a student who attempted to remove the letter “e” in the word “introduced.” The letter was fixed that day by an NIU plumber.

Though many students who live in and around the residence halls said they were unaware of the sculpture’s existence, sophomore marketing major Ryan Dundas said he has walked past the sculpture twice and calls it “functional as well as artistic.”