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A plaque was mounted in the third floor atrium on Monday, April 14, commemorating the recent construction of a stained-glass coat of arms. Technology teacher Richard Realmuto headed the construction of the coat of arms.

Realmuto, Assistant Principal Music, Art and Technology Dr. Raymond Wheeler, and a few of the seniors involved in the construction attended the ceremony, which also took place in the third floor atrium.

The plaque was placed on the north wall of the atrium. It lists the names of the 26 seniors and the staff members who were involved constructing the coat of arms. Principal Stanley Teitel, Dr. Wheeler, President of the Alumni Association Robert Sherwood (’68) and Realmuto were named on the plaque. The Alumni Association funded the project, which cost roughly 250 dollars.

The stained-glass window, displaying the Stuyvesant coat of arms, was created by Realmuto’s fall-term Principles of Engineering class. They finished it on Monday, January 28 and hung it in the third floor atrium soon afterwards.

Realmuto’s desire to create the window originated in his interest in rose windows—colorful, stained-glass, circular windows that decorate cathedrals.

The stained-glass window is made of foam, plywood, acetate gel and paint. The window displays the classic Stuyvesant coat of arms, a circle ordained with a hammer, two books, and the Latin words “Pro Scientia Atque Sapientia” (“For Knowledge and Wisdom”). It was mounted high on the north wall of the atrium so that it shines in the sunlight from windows behind it.

“It’s pretty exciting to see the actual window up there everyday, and to think that it will be up there for future generations of Stuyvesant students to see,” senior Perry Fisher, one of the head leaders of the project, said.

“It’s an artistic way to represent the technology department,” Dr. Wheeler said.

The construction of the coat of arms was also a project in student leadership. The Principles in Engineering class was divided into teams and there were seven student leaders, including two head leaders.

“Having been a project never attempted by anyone, including Mr. Realmuto himself, we only had a vision for the project with no idea how to reach it,” senior Jaron Wong, another head leader, said.

“There were a lot of problems to solve, and that’s what we do—solve problems,” Realmuto said. “[The students] loved it.” Deciding on inexpensive and light-weight materials was one of the challenges. The class solved such problems by discussing them with each other in an attempt to come up with practical ideas.

“Every time I see it, I stop and think of all of the good times I had while working on it,” Fisher said.