What’s bronze and hairless and purrs all over? It’s Shillman Cat!
Northeastern’s true Campus Celeb: everyone follows his sometimes cheeky, but always funny tweets and students donned Shillman Cat inspired outfits for Halloween. Plus, who hasn’t had a photoshoot with their friends and the Cat?
Shillman Cat materialized overnight last February and students immediately began wondering why there was a cat in husky territory. A few days after the statue first appeared, news@Northeastern revealed that Robert Shure of Skylight Studios in Woburn, Mass. made the piece and that its official title was “A Man and a Cat Named Yitz.” Despite the official name, everyone continued to refer to the cat and his Sperry-loving friend as Shillman Cat.
Reportedly, there is a similar statue with the same name at a university in Israel, where Robert Shillman, the man in the statue and a Northeastern trustee, also donates money.
Daniel Kurtz dressed as Shillman Cat in honor of the feline’s first Halloween: “I consider the Shillman Cat to be a character in his own right. One to whom I’ve bestowed a personality,” Kurtz explained. “If he could talk, Yitz would have impeccable grammar, poise, and confidence. He would be intelligent and possess the kind of humor that makes people laugh and then take a step back and say, ‘Holy S***, that’s funny because it’s so true.’ I guess, in a way, I see Shillman Cat as what I aspire to be. Just, minus the whole, you know, CAT thing.”
The popularity of the statue is evidenced by the @shillmancat twitter, which was created shortly after the statue’s unveiling. Though anonymous to most users, 701 students are currently following the cat’s commentary on Northeastern life (“Who’s doing the Underwear Run tonight? Ladies, it goes right past me, so leave those granny panties at home. #bronzecat”), the weather (“This humidity makes my fur look horrible. #frizzcity #bronzecat”) and major holidays (“Cinco de Mayo: does anyone have a tiny cat-sized sombrero I can borrow? #bronzecat”).
And while the house cat hasn’t replaced the husky just yet, he’s certainly earned a place in the hearts of Northeastern students.
If you haven’t met him, head over to Shillman Hall and pay him a visit: give him a pet, maybe he’ll give you a purr in return.