By Cecilia Bahnson If you have ever walked through Crescent Valley’s ceramics room, then you've likely come across the eight foot tall reproduction of Studio Ghibli’s wise, whimsical, and well-adored Totoro, from the 1988 film My Neighbor Totoro. This film became one of Studio Ghibli’s most iconic works. It follows the story of two young girls exploring a new house and a mysterious, wooded backyard. As they explore, the two children come across all sorts of playful creatures and spirits. One of these creatures is Totoro, a massive and utterly delightful being. Now perhaps you're wondering how such an enormous rendition of this lovely creature came to be in the CV ceramics room, or the reason behind its life there. Well according to Mr. Moses (the current caretaker of Totoro), the rendition was created about six years ago by members of the CV Anime Club. Because of recent construction at the school, Totoro is currently resting in the cafeteria while his home in the F-Building is being remodeled. Studio Ghibli has been a source of inspiration for millions of people, including the Anime Club that built and painted our beloved Totoro. At the time of his creation, the plan was for Totoro to be joined by his pal, Catbus. These two characters “seemed like natural icons to create for the school”, says Mr. Moses. The creatures are both accepting and supportive of young people, and their size and physical features give off “a sense of awe, coupled with warmth and peace." Unfortunately, the Catbus was never finished, but perhaps that will change in 2021. So, next time you encounter the eight-by-four foot depiction of Crescent Valley High School’s renowned Totoro (post-pandemic and post-construction), perhaps you will be inspired to build him a friend. At the very least, you will know where he came from and what inspired his creation. If you want to write for the Crescent Crier, we would love to see you at one of our virtual meetings, which are every Wednesday at 1:30pm! To come to a meeting, fill out this form: https://forms.gle/TrQ5PqFcDqeE2yiB9, and we’ll send you a link ASAP. If you would like to submit a single article - or anything else like creative writing, an opinion, an art piece, photo or photo series, or something else entirely - then you can do that using this form: https://forms.gle/WAHSoWJuVwK3q5du6. If you want to contact us for any reason, you can email
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