The PSU 3-D Printing Club took it upon itself this week to construct a new ear for the Lion Shrine, which was broken off over the weekend.

? Did you hear? It’s been a long week with only one ear, but thanks to the #PennState 3D Printing Club, (@psu3dc on Instagram), I’ve got a temporary replacement — in blue, of course. ?

Thanks to Nate Ehrhardt, Anne Pauley, and Lach Peeke for their help and hard work. #WeAre pic.twitter.com/kbA4SVwnTV

— The Nittany Lion (@NittanyLion) February 28, 2018

The bright blue of the molded ear stands out against the rest of the statue, but the 3-D Printing Club says that was intentional.

“We could have chose a color that would have matched the rest of the lion, but we decided to go with blue because it was a temporary fix and we wanted people to see the change to see what 3-D printing can do,” club member Nathan Ehrhardt said.

The temporary ear is not a perfect fit. Members of the club said that although the shape of the ear was relatively easy to construct, the size gave them a lot of trouble. What’s fitted on the lion now is the second attempt from the group — the first was too small.   Members of the team responsible for this project include Nathan Ehrhardt, Lach Peeke, Dan Tanney, and Anne Pauley. Pauley and Peeke were the first to come up with the idea, but from there the group worked together to measure, print, and attach the design.

University police are continuing to investigate how the ear broke off. Penn State hasn’t yet announced any sort of timeline for when the ear may be permanently fixed.

Happy Sunday, Penn State!

If you see reports that an ear has been removed from the Lion Shrine – don't panic! Just some wear & tear and I'll be fixed up ASAP.

In the mean time, just speak up! pic.twitter.com/emU4AFtGHd

— Nittany Lion (@NittanyLion) February 25, 2018