A life-size Wolfie statue was unveiled at the Academic Mall on Thursday, Sept. 26. Located in the space between the Psychology A building and the Frank Melville Jr. Memorial Library, the statue stands over six feet tall with a bench in front of it.
At the unveiling, Wolfie made an appearance alongside key speakers such as Rick Gatteau, the vice president for Student Affairs, Scott Barrett, the interim vice president for University Advancement and Richard L. McCormick, the interim president of Stony Brook University.
Gatteau started the unveiling with commentary on what the statute represents for the campus.
“This statue truly is a lasting symbol of Seawolf pride, tradition and unity for all of us,” he said. “Truly reminding us what makes Stony Brook so special.”
Gatteau thanked Hedieh Yazdanseta, the senior director of Strategic Initiatives and Operations at the Office of Student Life, who helped direct the process of creating and installing the statue. Gatteau also highlighted the crucial role other staff members from the Campus Life Centers and the Marketing and Communications teams in the implementation of the Wolfie statue.
Ken Marcus, an alumnus from the class of 1971, generously donated the funds for the statue. Inspired by the University of Michigan’s campus culture and its famous “block ‘M,’” Marcus sought to replicate a similar campus culture through a symbolic statue. Marcus and his wife could not make the unveiling since they live in Michigan, but they plan to visit the campus for Homecoming in October.
“Ken offered a gift in hopes of providing a similar memory and traditions here at his alma mater,” Barrett said. “He approached us last year and offered us philanthropic funding to gift a statue with hopes that it creates a gathering and a selfie spot for generations of Seawolves.”
Barrett added in an interview that Marcus’ donation aligned with the University’s long-term goals.
“As the campus grows up, we want to create these traditions and moments for our students and for the campus,” Barrett said. “We find the intersection between the wants and the needs of the University and the donor’s interests. The donor frankly came up to us and asked if they could help us with something like this, and we said of course since this lines up perfectly with what the University wants to do.”
The Spirit of Stony Brook, the University’s band, played “Also sprach Zarathustra, Op. 30,” entertaining the crowd. There was also free popcorn provided from CulinArt and Stony Brook-branded hats that read “Just Like Wolfie.” Students were also given the option to enter into a raffle in hopes to win one of 29 Wolfie plushies, marking 29 years since the creation of Wolfie as the campus mascot.
Violet Patel, a senior majoring in computer science, said the statue’s presence already enhanced their experience on campus.
“I think seeing Wolfie anywhere in general is just a good thing,” Patel said. “Everyone loves seeing Wolfie around, so I think it will definitely increase school spirit.”
McCormick explained during his speech what Wolfie meant for both himself and the Stony Brook community.
“Wolfie brings us all together to celebrate the triumphant perseverance of the seawolf,” McCormick said. “Wolfie spans many generations of seawolves connecting us all through his spirit and tenacity. He’s authentic. He’s confident. He’s inspiring and a supportive friend reflecting the best of who we are as a community and as individuals. I would challenge you to be like Wolfie.”
Yifan Kao, a senior majoring in biology, questioned how the project impacted the progress of other renovations on campus.
“I could already see that the statue is massively popular, as I overheard people talking about taking photos and selfies with it. I definitely think that the statue is a nice surprise, but there are a lot of renovations and issues on campus that need to be looked at,” Kao said. “However, the fact that they were able to create something for the community is a pretty good project.”
Barrett told The Statesman that this is just one of the few projects the University has planned to improve the campus in some way such as through facilities, aligning with what McCormick outlined in his State of the University Address.
“We’re working on fundraising a new engineering building,” Barrett said. “In terms of other projects, we’re doing a lot of fundraising in terms of endowment support. We’re raising a lot of money for things like scholarship support, faculty support and research support. That’s where we’re at right now, but we’re always looking for the next great idea as well.”