As you may have heard, West Milford High School will lose a legend at the end of the school year as the great Mr. Pollaro is set to retire. It seems there could be only one celebration worthy of honoring his epic legacy: replacing the elk statue outside with one of Mr. Pollaro.

One of the biggest questions when being faced with this idea was: what will we do with the current statue? While this is still up for debate, many have suggested donating the elk statue to the Elks Lodge #2236 in town. I am sure this organization would fully embrace the mammal as it is reflective of their name and mascot, unlike West Milford High School’s white-tail deer.

The second concern seems to stem from where the funds for such a cause would come from. I am happy to report this will not be an issue. With Mr. Pollaro retiring at the same time the Class of 2024 will be graduating, the seniors have decided that this statue will be their class gift given to the high school. All those graduating are truly disappointed that the incoming Freshman class, and all those who follow, will not have the opportunity to meet Mr. Pollaro. The Class of 2024 would like to say that this gift is only proper following such a heartbreaking loss to the administration.

I and many others believe this statue change will result in a more unified student body since it will bring about many new traditions. You may be aware of the current Instagram account which features pictures of students posing with our current elk, however, the new statue of Mr. Pollaro will present an even better opportunity for students to show off their school spirit. Now, when walking into school each day, students will have the opportunity to rub the statue’s bald head. In addition, students will be given the opportunity to acquire volunteer hours to help maintain the statue and give its head the proper shine it deserves.

In terms of statue design, there have been a few ideas floating around including a simple shoulders-up design, one similar to the Statue of Liberty, or one chosen after a student design contest. The shoulders-up design would allow for the main focus to be on Mr. Pollaro’s head and make the tradition of rubbing it much more feasible. However, the Statue of Liberty style design would make room for some West Milford symbolism by replacing the crown with white-tail deer antlers and finding other creative things to change out for the torch and tablet. The student design contest would give art students, and anyone interested, a chance to make their mark on the high school.

While the Class of 2024 has done some ample fundraising to cover these costs, they would like to partner with the Student Council to open up the opportunity for others to contribute, given his retirement will impact all currently attending West Milford High School. For more information regarding how you can help this statue become a reality, I am afraid you are going to have to wait a while. Happy April Fool’s Day!