Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Mich., removed its famous pendulum statue (or wrecking ball) from campus after students posted videos and pictures of themselves using it to recreate Miley Cyrus’ risqué music video “Wrecking Ball.”

In the music video, Cyrus swings around naked on top of a wrecking ball, and college students were quick to copy Cyrus’ moves on their campus. The pendulum, reportedly a 42-inch steel ball hanging by a 50 foot cable, weighs 500 pounds began drawing attention last week, when students pointed out its similarities to the wrecking ball in Cyrus’ music video.

Students started a Twitter account for the now infamous statue, @GVSUWreckingBal. Soon, a trend was building among students, and an increasing number of vines featuring naked students riding the GVSU Wrecking Ball were popping up on the Internet. Finally, the University administration had the statue taken down.

However, one source said that riding the GVSU pendulum has been “a tradition for incoming freshmen (the majority of GV students have ridden the ball at least once)” since long before Cyrus released “Wrecking Ball.”

Unhappy with the GVSU Wrecking Ball’s sudden removal, students have rallied to have the statue reinstated, selling t-shirts and starting a Twitter hashtag: #REINSTALLTHEBALL.

The proceeds from the t-shirt will go to Relay For Life.

GVSU head of facilities, Tim Thimmesch, did not confirm that the decision to remove the statue was due to Cyrus’ video, but he did tell local Fox 17 that students had been riding on the statue much more than usual and that it was taken down for “safety reasons.”

GVSU students have held multiple protests at the sight that used to house the pendulum statue. In a video of the protest, the students partake in a group singing of “Wrecking Ball.”

No word yet on whether the administration will listen to the students and bring back the statue. Miley Cyrus' new album Bangerz will be in stores Oct. 8.

– Olivia Truffaut-Wong

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