The wolverine statue was added to Aliso Niguel High School in 2023 after years of preparation and planning. The graduating classes of 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022 all contributed to the purchasing of the statue as their senior gift.
Ms. Ross, the activities director at Aliso Niguel, said, “They had a bunch of money in the senior account and they wanted to find a way to put that towards something that future classes of Aliso Niguel can look at.”
Once the statue was finished by the artist, there was a debate on where the statue should be placed. The original decision was for the statue to be placed at the front of the school in front of the flagpole.
Ms. Ross said, “There were quite a few teachers who were like, someone could steal it from right there, and it’s a nice statue.”
Going on Ms. Ross said, “Someone could steal it and just back their truck up and take it away.”
Since there was a debate on whether or not it was safe to have the statue placed in front of the flagpole, with worries that it could easily be taken, they were on the search for a new location.
Ms. Ross said, “They wanted to find a different location indoors that would be less inclined to have an issue.”
Ms. Ross says, “When I got here, I started looking at spots because obviously I didn’t really know the campus, coming from a different school.”
This new location was the place where the wolverine statue sits today, in front of the main office.
Ms. Ross says, “I had to work with the district to get it mounted because they couldn’t figure out how to support it because it’s heavy.”
The fixed location for the statue is safe inside the school doors, so that there are no problems with people taking it. Although no one is stealing the statue, there have been issues with students getting caught hanging on the branch the wolverine is attached to.
Students such as Ariana Regmi (10) said, “I think it’s really cool how it has the wolverine on a slanted branch and there’s a wave behind it. It’s really unique.”
Other students, such as Amy Vazquez (10), believe the statue is too small and not very noticeable.
Regmi said, “I think it looks good in the entrance. It’s welcoming with the mascot in the front.”
Regmi also agrees with Vazquez, saying, “I would say make the statue a little bigger, because not many people can actually see it. I didn’t see it freshman year until the second semester.”
Sofia Gonzalez (9) said, “When I see the statue, I feel proud to be a Wolverine at Aliso Niguel High School.”
While the statue is noticeable, it adds a nice touch to the school’s atmosphere; many students believe it is hard to see, and they do not feel like it has any kind of impact on the school. Overall, the statue was a nice senior gift that will be seen by all the classes to come.
