Statues Usher In New Legacy At Timberline High School

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timberline high schoolBy: Matt (High School Intern)

Beautiful art can inspire and awaken the mind. It can bring unity, create a common ground, proclaim beliefs, and even change the way people see the world. It can bring a sense of completion, contentment, and happiness to those who craft it and to those who view it. Students of Timberline can now experience these benefits of art, as new statues have joined the Timberline landscape.

Walking to the building for the first time since June, some students were surprised to see new additions to the entrance. “Star People,” a trio of metal sculptures created by artist David Govedare, now stand to greet students as they approach. The installation, inspired by ancient pictographs, features two 12-foot sculptures near the front entrance of the school as well as a single sculpture outside the library.

Students showed immediate interest in the statues. “I think they represent the uniqueness of the school,” said sophomore Tanner Helton. Other students agreed, saying the statues are creative and represent student togetherness.

“It shows that the school is very expressive, with a bond of unity,” said sophomore Courtney Westerfield.

Because the statues are permanent, students admit they will take some getting used to, and while many of the reviews are positive, others aren’t convinced. “They freak me out,” said sophomore Angela Miller. Other students believe the statues don’t represent Timberline. “They don’t match up to the school,” said senior Tiffany Parsons. Parsons was also concerned that district money was spent on the sculptures. “[The money] could have been spent on something like a bigger Blazer Man,” said Parsons.

Due to the permanence of the art feature students and staff are beginning to dream up ideas of incorporating the sculptures into school tradition. English teacher Katie Myrick was one of the first to think up the idea of dressing the statues for spirit days, game days, and holidays. “We could draft the leadership class to dress them,” said Myrick. The sculptures could sport green and gold Blazer gear for game days and custom costumes for holidays. “For the first day of school they could hold a banner,” said Myrick.

Students are extremely enthusiastic about the suggestion. Most think that dressing the sculptures will improve school spirit and bring a life to the inanimate objects. “They [will be] a lot more bland without the outfits on,” said freshman Lino Velez-Kraft. Sophomore Jenna King agrees that clothes would make the statues more entertaining. “It would make them fun,” said King.

Librarian Marianne Hunter likes the idea, but worries that students would become too preoccupied with clothing the sculptures. “It would become a [big] thing for them to be dressed all the time,” said Hunter. Her concern is shared by sophomore Christina White. “I think it [would be] stupid because it’s taking away from the art that it’s meant to be,” said White. White also believes that the statues were meant to represent the school and the artist, not clothing or costumes. “It makes them seem childish and disrespectful to the artist. It’s like we’re saying that what the artist did wasn’t good enough,” said White.

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