Trojan pride never dies, and this fall, a new symbol of trojan pride will be arriving at HHS.

This November, a brand new trojan statue is scheduled to be unveiled at Hershey High School. This statue will be a replacement for the original statue that was donated by the graduating class of 71-72 and vandalized by a group of students in 2006.

This hand-crafted piece is coming with a large price tag. The total cost of the new statue is $19,400 and will be paid with money from several different sources. After the vandalization incident in 2006, DTSD filed an insurance motion and received $15,000 in damages to replace the statue. Additionally, the class of 71-72 also contributed $500 to the replacement initiative. The balance will be paid for with district funds.

HHS Principal, Dr. Dale Reimann, has been the driving force behind this effort. For the past two years, Reimann has been passionate about getting the replacement process underway. At the school board meeting on August 22, the board voted 7-0 in favor of replacing the statue. “I’m extremely appreciative to have the support of the school board,” Reimann said.

Even though the school board’s vote is indicative of their support of the replacement, specific members expressed their concerns about the statue at the meeting. Board member Julie Neal discussed the student responses to the statue.

Neal wanted the statue to have value among the student body, and she suggested that a time capsule could be placed in the statue’s case and be opened in the future. Reimann has not been approached about this idea, but said he would listen if a student came to him with a proposal.

The statue is expected to arrive around Thanksgiving, but the process could be delayed due to the immensity of the project. Majestic Works of Elizabethtown is undertaking the construction of  the statue and the development has been estimated to take ten weeks.

Reimann is excited for the staff and students to see the statue, and he believes that a lot of buzz about the project will be created around the school community. Reimann is planning to couple the statue’s unveiling with either a basketball game or a wrestling match so that many students can be involved.

The new statue’s implementation will come with upgraded security features in order to prevent another mishap. The statue will be placed in the glass case outside of the auditorium, and the case will be properly secured with additional cameras.

Reimann is working hard with the school board, the director of buildings and grounds, and the director of safe schools to ensure the proper installation and care of the statue. The statue is very important to Reimann.  “It’s a point of pride,” Reimann said.