Hofstra's Hitchhiker

Many students at Hofstra can’t help but smile as they leave the campus.

The last thing man drivers see is a lanky hitchhiker who stands near the road propositioning a Boston sign, with a large suitcase propped up next to him.

Candace Shoureck, 18, a freshman at Hofstra says the sculpture is “really funny, and random. I laugh every time I notice it.”

She says that this statue was permanently imprinted in her mind when she noticed it after leaving freshman orientation. “It was so random, I couldn’t help but to stare at it.” When asked about the statues origin, Shoureck simply shrugged.

Another student, Masha Chernousov, 18, considers the statue to be “really confusing, but interesting.” Chernousov goes on to question the statue’s meaning. “What’s up with Boston?, That’s random? I think it’s really weird but that’s why it’s so interesting.”

The statue has become part of the schools culture, yet many students are not aware of the origin of the sculptor.

John Seward Johnson II, 78, is the sculptor behind this Hofstra icon. Johnson began his career as the heir to the Johnson & Johnson corporation, and worked as a painter. In 1968 he made the decision to switch to sculpting. Johnson’s statues are created to be realistic, yet silent participants in everyday life. Since 1968, Johnson has created over 250 pieces that are scattered throughout the world in private collections. “Hitchhiker” was donated to the university in 1983, and made popular in 1985 when Johnson held an exhibition of his work on Hofstra’s campus.