University Times

Falk School unveiled a new carving of two panthers on Nov. 19, created from the remains of a pin oak that once stood three stories high on school grounds. Sculptor Luke Sassani (in cap) created a panther descending a tree from a four-foot trunk section and a seated panther from a six-foot section, then carved the stump into boulders, reconnecting them to create a single work of art.

The tree, planted in 1943, had stood in the backyard of a house next to Falk, says director Wendell R. McConnaha, a School of Education faculty member (standing next to Sassani). When Falk built its addition on the property, it left the tree standing, but dead limbs forced it to be cut down recently.

McConnaha credits Kathy Trent, head of the Facilities Management ground crew, with the idea for the campus’s latest panther creation.