Walt Whitman High School unveils new Wildcat statue in front of football field
Walt Whitman High School now has a new symbol of pride that will greet students in the morning.
Whitman unveiled a new Wildcat statue in front of the football field next to the bleachers on Friday morning. Students, alumni, donors and faculty members attended the ceremony to celebrate the 100th year of the South Huntington School District. Whitman is one of the few schools on Long Island to have a mascot statue in front of their school.
The statue was created by Randolph Rose Collection, which is based in Yonkers.
"We wanted to connect the future with the past," said Nicholas Ciapetta, president of the Walt Whitman School Board of Education, and a 1997 alumnus of the school. "We're celebrating the history of our athletes and our graduates."
"It's a legacy-building statue," Whitman's athletic director David Barth said. "Everything that has been done here has increased the pride that our students have."
The ceremony began with speeches from school administrators, thanking the community for embodying what it means to be a Wildcat and hoping they can carry the tradition for years to come.
"To me, having a statue here is a great representation of what the community does for the students and athletes," said boys soccer player Otto Umana Alvarez. "This is definitely a step up, knowing that the school cares about you. Now students will be more motivated to play sports."
The statue stands 6 feet, 7 inches tall and weighs 350 pounds. It took two years to make this a reality: one year for fundraising and another for construction. The bronze statue was fully funded through donations.
"Being a Wildcat means something across generations," Ciapetta said. "Our graduates always come back to visit. Many of them work here, live here, or raise a family. The Wildcat is so fierce and has pride, and those are the qualities of our South Huntington residents."
Students and coaches aim to start a new tradition by touching the Wildcat's front paw before taking the field before games.
"The students may not realize it right now, but they just witnessed history," said girls badminton coach Elena Tonna. "It's a new tradition here — this was the first step forward."
Jonathan Ruban covers high school sports for Newsday after graduating from St. John’s.
