Non-Humans Of Penn, Volume II: The Dude On The WWII Memorial

"People think, you know, that I don't have feelings because I'm made of stone. But I'm sensitive. My facial expressions don't really change but that's just because I have RSF – Resting Statue Face. I have a lot of feelings. I care so much about the world. But I mean, I haven't always been this way... When I was younger I used to think being a statue meant being strong, stoic. But back in '55 or '56, I hit a turning point, or a shift in how I see myself, I guess. I just remember this girl sitting under me, crying after failing her first calculus midterm, and I felt like I was watching over her. I felt like I was protecting her. And I liked that feeling, it made me feel needed. 

So I guess I feel like that's my purpose in life – watching over the students at Penn. And I'm pretty content with that."