UW-Eau Claire's Council Oak Tree has been in the spotlight recently, as it was at the center of a building controversy. Now that tree is being spared, but it's not the only famous oak tree on campus.

In this Wandering Wisconsin, Sarah Stokes takes a look at the gum tree.

Sarah: The gum tree behind Murray Hall isn't hard to spot, just look for the tree with all the spots.

Its bark is filled with stuff you bite.

"People just stick their gum to the tree," says Junior Chelsey Gehde.

And the Murray Hall director says people have been leaving gum under these leaves for more than two decades.

"Oh yeah, I've seen it grow quite a bit," says Carol Hohndorf. She has been working on campus for 13 years.

"When I started here there was a small area, about 4 x 4," she added.

She thinks these wads are wonderful.

"Puts a smile on my face every day when I come to work
I think it's getting to be a tradition for the students now," she said.

The hall director says it started during athletic summer camps when kids would walk between McPhie and the Hilltop dining hall and ditch their gum in between.

"I think it's pretty creative, I think it's a good contribution to the campus but definitely not a necessity but nice to look at once in a while," says Ethan Frei, a Junior.

But this tree trunk tradition isn't for every one.

"I think it's really gross, I would not want to put my gum on there," Ali Harris, a sophomore, noted. She went on to say, "no, I'll stay away from this tree, this is too close for comfort as it is."

Some people stumble upon it.

"I actually noticed it last year," Harris said.

But others get gum tree 101 when they move into the dorm next door.

"They introduce it to you the first day you get here in Murray Hall," said Gehde.

And some decide to burst their bubbles and pop a piece on the tree.

Jim Zahan said, "I've added a few pieces myself. Probably eye level around here somewhere." The freshman might even go out on a limb next time.

"It's pretty cool, I'll probably try to get one up a little higher," he added.

And now the gum trend is branching out.

Gehde says, "they've started adding gum to other trees, guess they're trying to move it out."

The gum is stretched, smashed or just plain stuck. And some of the shapes are up for debate.

Hohndorf looks on at a big splotch, "it's supposed to look like the United States?"

But is it art?

"I would consider it art, if you walk by you just give a little chuckle
It's art now," Zahan said.
Harris says, "some form of artwork I guess."
"I'm not sure what it would be classified as but I'm glad its here. Makes us an individual school, sets us apart from the other ones," Frei said.

If you're wondering what all that gum does to the tree, the Eau Claire City Forester says since the bark isn't living tissue, the gum won't harm the tree at all.