Missouri college students launch floating sculptures

MARYVILLE, Mo. (AP) - Colden Pond on the Northwest Missouri State campus in Maryville had some unusual "sailors" this week.

Students in Steven Banks' design class on Monday launched a small fleet of colorful paper-mbchi heads onto the pond. They called the collection the Floating Head Regatta.

The Maryville Daily Forum reports that the heads, which stood about 5 feet tall, mostly resembled video game characters and animals. Among the creations were a crocodile, a one-eyed one-horned flying purple people eater, and the Gumby cartoon character.

Banks says as part of their public art project, students were assigned to make the floating heads at least as tall as themselves. They were attached to rafts made of foam, plastic bottles and other materials.