Cavalier carving comes to dorms
By Julie Hofler
Cavalier Daily Associate Editor
A new Cavalier has joined first-year students in the McCormick Road residence area. Standing proudly, sword held high above his head, the eight-foot-tall wooden carving greets passersby from atop a tree stump between Kent and Emmet houses.
The Cavalier was carved out of an American beech tree that had stood in the Old Dorm quad since the residence halls were constructed, explained University Arborist Jerry Brown, the statue's chainsaw-wielding creator.
While building a circular sidewalk around the beech tree this summer, construction workers dug too close to its root system and damaged it. Although some trees can withstand substantial root loss, American beeches are more sensitive, Brown explained.
"A good wind would have blown it over," University landscaping supervisor Todd Romanac said. The tree would have died within the year, and its precarious position made it a safety hazard for people in the area, Romanac explained.
"It was a great tree. What a waste," he said of the construction mistake that caused the tree's death. "But good things come of it," he added.
Things like a huge wooden Cavalier.
Brown said when the beech tree was first cut down, he asked John Griffin, director of operations for the Housing Division, if he wanted him to leave something behind. Griffin suggested the Cavalier statue.
"I've been doing tree work for the last 16 years," Brown said, but he started carving wood just two years ago.
When a storm knocked down several trees at the playground near the Copeley residence area, Brown decided to try the art and stepped in with his chainsaw, leaving unique wooden creations for the children who played there.
Brown's carvings also have been a hit with the first years who pass by the new Cavalier each day on the way to class.
"At first they weren't too sure what I was doing, but by day two they started to see the arms and the head," Brown said. It took about 12 hours to complete the Cavalier using three different chain saws, he said.
Some students living in Kent offered to help Brown paint the Cavalier, which he hopes to do along with coating it in a preservative to protect it from the weather.
Despite the positive response to the statue, Brown said there is talk of replacing the old beech tree. However, he suspects that the hard ground in the area may make this a problem and the Cavalier will stand.
"I hope they keep it [the Cavalier] there for a while," he said.
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