Stationed in the Wagoner Drive traffic circle since 2009, UNCW’s Soaring Seahawk statue has been a favorite spot for student graduation photos. Its movement to a new location on Hoggard Hall Lawn was announced to UNCW students and staff on Friday, May 17 in a statement by the Office of University Relations (OUR).
Many students are upset about the removal of the Soaring Seahawk statue and shared feelings of disappointment, surprise and shock at the statue’s relocation. In the words of Maddie Miller, UNCW class of 2023, “I was absolutely shocked…it made me very sad.” Miller, a previous UNCW tour guide, stated, “The statue was one of the main things we talked about while giving tours and the fact that it’s now moved is just disappointing.”
OUR claims that the statue’s movement is “part of roadway improvements to Wagoner Drive,” the goals of this roadway improvement project being “improving crosswalks and storm drainage, providing better roadway access for buses and fire trucks, and improving the safety of picture takers”
Still, for some students, the need for the statue’s movement is unclear. Reilee Linner, a UNCW alumna who currently serves as UNCW’s Campus Visit Coordinator, noted that her first reaction to hearing about the statue’s relocation was “interested.” She then expressed a feeling that “this move kind of came out of nowhere.” Linner seconded Miller’s thoughts that the statue was an important part of the campus tour experience. She shared that “As Campus Visit Coordinator, I can say that that is a major stop for tours which we highlight frequently.” She added, “We tell students to take their pictures with the baby Seahawk as a freshman and then once they graduate to take pictures with the Wagoner Drive Seahawk statue. They’re a package deal.” Linner expressed excitement about taking part in this UNCW tradition, describing the day she took her graduation photos as “a really big moment for me.” She added that she was “determined to sit on the bird,” so much so that she “put a hole in [her] jeans getting up there.”
For some Seahawk alumni, taking pictures with the Soaring Seahawk statue was the highlight of a senior year ruined by the Covid-19 pandemic. Hannah Williams, Class of 2021, shared that “my senior year had been messed up by Covid, so still being able to go do that thing that was a tradition for so many students was fun and exciting.” Williams shared the same sentiments that Maddie Miller expressed, stating that “Not having it [the statue] there is definitely weird.” Still, in the face of a worldwide pandemic, Hannah was determined to participate in the UNCW tradition of taking photos by the Soaring Seahawk, stating, “my entire senior year I was like, I have to get pictures there, even if they’re not professionally done.”
All three alumni agreed that taking graduation photos with the Seahawk statue was a full-circle moment that allowed them to reflect on their entire college career. Miller shared that she felt like “it was one of those things that gives your college career closure.” Students can still take graduation photos with the seahawk statue as it has only moved 25 feet backward onto UNCW’s historic Hoggard Hall Lawn. Still, what seems like a small move amounted to a large-scale change in UNCW’s campus.
