by Benjamin Konuch, Student Public Relations Writer
Transformation at Cedarville University goes beyond its campus, it centers on the lives of students who attend and graduate. Knowing its graduates are making a kingdom impact in their lives is central to the mission of Cedarville.
At the same time, Cedarville is in the midst of a campus transformation with the opening of the $40 million Scharnberg Business and Communication Center and the Pamela Diehl Johnson and Murray Murdoch residence hall that will house 348 students. Both facilities opened in August.
On Wednesday, July 10, the university installed a statue of its athletic mascot, Stinger, on the plaza between the Scharnberg Business and Communication Center and the Stevens Student Center. This new landmark is expected to be a welcoming spot for guests and the campus community—and a location for many campus photos.
The nine-foot stainless steel statue was donated by Daniel Petek, president of Castek Aluminum, and his family. Alberto Lopez, an employee at Castek is the artist responsible for crafting the statue.
Petek believes the Stinger statue, handcrafted by Lopez, signifies Cedarville’s commitment to excellence. This quality was the inspiration for crafting the statue.
“The quality of the Stinger Statue is another indicator of Cedarville’s attention to detail and how we strive for quality in everything we do,” said Dr. Thomas White, president of Cedarville University. “We envision generations of students taking their photos in front of the Stinger statue and enjoying the beauty of that entry plaza as they arrive for a visit or meet up with friends. We are so grateful to the Petek family for their generosity in creating this new focal point for our beautiful campus.”
The development of the Stinger statue took two and a half years from the initial agreement to its shipment to Cedarville. The handcrafted, stainless-steel Stinger is made from Steel 316 — the same special type of stainless steel used to craft the Cloud Gate, more commonly known as “the Bean,” in Chicago’s Millennium Park. The material of both structures allows the steel to remain impervious to rust and retain a bright, reflective shine.
“Cedarville University exudes excellence,” said Petek, who also serves on the university’s board of trustees. “Everything on its campus is beautiful and is crafted with such a commitment to quality. As a result, we wanted to design a statue that is reflective of Cedarville’s excellence and the quality craftsmanship of our team.”
In crafting the statue, Lopez gained his inspiration from Cedarville’s long-standing commitment to quality.
“Alberto has an amazing artistic eye and an ability to build something out of nothing; that comes from years of experience building custom vehicles in Puerto Rico,” said Petek. “He has such a gift shaping metal; it was mesmerizing to watch him give life to a three-dimensional craft from a logo that has always been two-dimensional.”
After hundreds of hours of work from Petek, Lopez and many more employees at Castek, Petek remains adamant that the greatest accomplishment from the statue is not from him or any of his employees but from the school that the statue aims to represent.
“You don’t have to look far to see the dangerous shift of culture in our world today, and I look at Cedarville as one of the few bastions of hope and change for our culture,” said Petek. “The reason I chose to donate this statue is the same reason I’ve served as a trustee for so long: I believe in Cedarville’s work to transform and renew the next generation and wanted this statue to shine as a symbol of that excellence.”