It’s official, BYU’s Kimball Tower has at long last earned its place as the eighth Wonder of the World. Over the weekend, President Worthen met with the United Nations to finalize the paperwork. The tower is joining the ranks of renowned monuments like the Taj Mahal, The Colosseum, and the Great Pyramids at Gizeh. 

“We feel the tower has always stood as an icon of architectural innovation and culture. Its plain square build is an emblem of human creativity and architectural capability,” says António Guterres, secretary-general of the UN.

The tower is already attracting a steady stream of tourists. People have flocked from as far as Uruguay, Chile, France, India, and Japan to experience the Kimball. As a result, the BYU store has experienced a 79% sales increase and the numbers are only rising. Kimball Tower Lego sets and chocolate-covered cinnamon bears are almost completely sold out. 

Because they can, BYU is now charging $5 to ride the elevator in the Kimball. They say that such a beautiful, lofty view of Utah county should come at a price on a first-come, first-serve basis.

While many see this induction as an honor, some students think this may just be a desperate attempt by BYU to bring more diversity to campus. Others say this is merely a publicity stunt to get people to stop calling it the “Swikett”.

“If this is some stunt to get me to stop calling it the Swikett, it’s not going to work,” says Teancum Smith, a senior due to graduate this Spring. 

BYU has also announced plans to build two neighboring towers, one dedicated to Donny Osmond and the other to the guy who plays Nephi in the Book of Mormon videos.