Elephants are the largest land animals on Earth. Their characteristics consist of long trunks, large floppy ears and wide thick legs and in most cases they have large tusks, according to livescience.com.

They symbolize different things depending on culture and/or religion. To Human Resources Analyst Ms. Duperval, whose office is filled with elephant trinkets, they symbolize “strength and prosperity.”

“They are very intelligent and gentle souls and they are no more different than humans when it comes to protecting their herd, “said Ms. Duperval. “The matriarch who is the lead elephant teaches the young ones how to act properly.”

No one introduced her to elephants, she said, she “just fell in love with them one day and started to collect them.”

She said the main reason she has so many elephants displayed in her office “is to remind me that I am strong and capable of handling anything that may come my way during the day.

“In addition, to always remember that caring for the students and staff here at Inlet Grove is my mission. Just like elephants are very emotional beings that will go out of its way to help another animal, I too must do the same for others. They are really caring, loving, strong and affectionate beings.”

TV & Film Production instructor Mr. Goldstein said he has always been somewhat interested in elephants because they are so massive. But when his grandmother passed away, his love for elephants grew.

“She left elephant trinkets around the house,” said Mr. Goldstein. “My mom gave me her elephant trinkets and it just elevated my interest in elephants.”

He described elephants as extremely smart and said that what he likes about them most is that they are so powerful and so massive but at the same time can be very peaceful and very soft.

“Just beautiful and majestic animals.”

Mr. Goldstein said that a documentary he watched about baby elephants being separated from their parents in a national park in South Africa, and placed in a different national park, increased his interest in elephants.

The calves that were taken from their parents eventually became reckless, running through villages and wrecking things. People started realizing that the babies were acting out was because they had no one to raise them.

“Just like bad kids,” said Mr. Goldstein.

“What they did was they took an older elephant from a different camp and put them with the baby elephants and within like six months everything got fixed,” he said. “The older male elephants straightened them out and taught them how to act.”

To Journalism instructor Mr. Hanif, elephants symbolize peace. He described “his favorite critters” as “good natured, family oriented and very social.”

He said he doesn’t recall why he started liking elephants, but considers them the “coolest critters on the planet, especially baby elephants.”

Mr. Hanif has a framed elephant poster behind his desk with the words “Pride and Joy,” that was given to him by his youngest son, and often refers to students as his “Pride and Joys,” or PJs.

He said he also likes elephants because, “like me they like to be close to water.

“People call the lion the king of the jungle? Nah, when the elephants stroll down to the watering hole, they are in charge. Elephants rule, in peace.”

Co-Editors Note: This article is originally found in the 2019 Spring Forecast Magazine