By Rebecca Nussbaum

Two identical bronze wolverine sculptures were unveiled at the Upper and Middle Schools at the opening ceremonies Aug. 31. The school installed them the previous Friday outside of Ahmanson Lecture Hall at the Upper School and next to the flagpole at the Middle School.

President Thomas C. Hudnut hopes students will touch the statues for good luck before a big game or test.

“It can become a talisman of sorts,” he said.

Additionally, Hudnut imagines that students may treat the statue as a meeting place on campus.

The bronze sculptures were funded by Alan and Susan Casden,  (Aaron ’99, Jason ’99, Arik ’02, Justin ’02 and Alyssa ’07), Hudnut said.

The idea for the mascot statues was born last summer, and trustee Charles Munger recommended John Kobald for the job, Hudnut said, because he sculpts animals in their natural habitats.

According to his website, the Colorado based sculptor begins his statues with a frame made of steel and Styrofoam. The base is then covered with layers of clay, latex rubber, plaster, wax, and bronze. The piece is heated and glazed, and it is finished after it is sealed and waxed.