Welcome to Sparrows Point High School Alumni Association

"Lucy" the cow was born in 2011. She was a winning entry in the  Lucerne Art of Dairy Cow Contest and quickly became a fixture in the school.  At some point, "Lucy" took up residence in the main lobby, and was a favorite of students who often used her as a meeting destination. "Meet me at the cow" was a popular phrase among students grade 6 through 12, and served as a prop for many a photo.

For the art department, "Lucy" was the equivalent of a sports team winning the state championship, and certainly deserved to be displayed in a place of prominence.   It is unclear when "Lucy" first appeared in the main lobby, but there was a growing sentiment that the Pointer Pup, the school's mascot, should adorn the main lobby and greet visitors entering the school.  It was sarcastically pointed out that nothing says welcome to Sparrows Point, home of the Pointer like a cow. It was rumored that many students, particularly middle school students, believed that the cow was the school mascot.

Ever vigilant to their charge to preserve tradition, members of the Sparrows Point High School Alumni Association (SPHSAA) began to seek out a suitable statue for placement in the main lobby.  In November of 2018, HOF member Bob Mroz  suggested this full sized replica of an English Pointer he found on eBay to President Hank Rode.  The project was temporarily shelved due to  other commitments, but was revived in March of 2019 at a meeting and was approved for purchase, was ordered on March 20, 2019, and received delivery on May 2, 2019.

On May 21, 2019,  Jessica Lord, Department Chair of Visual Arts at SPHS,  was approached about the possibility of painting the statue, a challenge met with enthusiasm.  

 During the summer break, Mrs. Lord enlisted the aid of three former students...Alexis Mullins (class of 2018), Drew Kessel (class of 2018), and Autumn Miller (class of 2019) to assist with the painting.

The end result of their labors transformed the 40 lb. white  fiber stone statue into a lifelike replica of an English Pointer... so  lifelike that at first glance, several people thought it was real.

Mrs. Lord was not finished, but enlisted the help of her Father, John Lord, owner of Hazelwood Body and Fender.  Assisted by shop assistant Eddie Kramer (class of 2018), Manager Darren Willson, and Painter Jimmy Sines, a protective clear-coat was applied. Our sincere thanks go out to them.

The application of clear-coat put the finishing touches on our Pointer Pup, and was delivered to the school on July 3, 2019.

The level of detail, right down to the blue eyes, is incredible. Our focus now turns to the pedestal.

Having made no progress on the acquisition of a pedestal, Mrs. Lord introduced Hank Rode to Joseph Cypressi, Visual Arts Department Chair, Sculpture and Drawing Teacher at George Washington Carver Center for the Arts and Technology.  A meeting took place on May 24, 2019and resulted in commissioning Mr. Cypressi to design and construct a pedestal, which was completed on July 6, 2019 and delivered to SPHS on July 19, 2019.

With the finished statue and unpainted pedestal in house, all that remained was the sanding and painting of the pedestal and mounting of the statue and sign.  Due to summer school and vacation, President Hank Rode and Secretary Pat Rode could not begin work to finalize the completed statue until August 12, 2019. Our thanks to Principal Emily Caster for allowing us to work in one of the art rooms in the annex.  

Because of the return of teachers from summer break, all work needed to be completed by August 22, 2019. This included sanding, applying multiple coats of primer and finish coats and preparing the statue for mounting.

On August 22, the pup and pedestal were moved from the art room to the main lobby, replacing "Lucy". The Welcome sign along with the pup were mounted on the pedestal, completing the project. 

Stanchions and a velvet rope were added to discourage handling of the pup. Everything was in place for the 9th grade orientation on August 30, 2019.

The official unveiling of the lobby pointer pup took place prior to the SPHSAA meeting on September 17, 2019.

Many, MANY thanks to the body of the SPHSAA for all of the support that made this possible.

From the very start of the creation of the Lobby Pointer Pup, The SPHSAA acknowledged the importance of "Lucy" to the arts, the school and the students. "Lucy" now resides in the auditorium lobby, which many consider the art wing.  The auditorium is home to plays, musicals, and concerts and other artistic events.  It is the wing where instrumentalists and vocalists hone their craft. It is also the gateway to the art rooms. We are proud that "Lucy" is prominently displayed for all to enjoy!

As you can see, she is still a favorite among middle school students.