From energizing crowds at sporting events to entertaining at community gatherings, students will soon have the chance to step into the role of the Mountain Lion mascot.
Organizers plan to select three students who are either a freshman, sophomore or a junior to serve as the mascot. The three students will each serve during one sport season; one for fall, winter and spring.
According to the spirit committee the audition process for picking the mascot consists of a couple different tests. The first part is an interview. That is a sit-down with the spirit committee to talk about their school pride and reliability.
The next part is a physical test. The candidate must be in good physical condition to maintain the high energy as the Mountain Lion. After that there is skit portion. The skit consists of a two minutiae original performance using music and props that the students will have to come up with. The last part is an improv. They will be given a random prop and have 60 seconds to entertain the judges without speaking.
“The mascot will be similar to what Loco at the Altoona Curve and the Nittany Lion at Penn State events does,” spirit committee member Tyler Elvey said. “They will interact with the crowd, perform skits and also participate in community and school-wide events like Read Across America day or the Christmas parade.”
Being the mascot comes with some requirements. The candidate must have a 3.0 GPA or higher. The students must be able to attend athletic events, pep rallies and different community events during the athletic season.
Each student that is chosen will receive a $500 scholarship along with the role.
“With the school providing a monetary scholarship as an incentive, this will require the person in the suit to bring the Mt. Lion to life,” Elvey said. “Bringing the Mt. Lion to life will bring smiles to the student body of all ages, big and small. Furthermore, this is a great opportunity for the students selected to add to their future resume and college applications.”
Many students have been interested in auditioning for the mascot position.
“I heard about this opportunity when it went on the announcements for the first time,” mascot candidate number one said. “I laughed and thought it was funny, but little did I know I would be the one trying out. I wanted to try out for a mascot because I thought it sounded like a really fun thing to do and a great way to get out of my comfort zone a bit.”
“I first heard of having the opportunity of being a mascot this year,” mascot candidate number two said. “I heard it over the announcements. My reaction to that was it would be something to do. YOLO.”
As some students prepare for the auditions, many believe their personalities and energy make them strong candidates for the role.
“I think I would be a good fit for this because I can be extremely energetic and I enjoy dancing around and having fun,” candidate one said.
“I think that I would be a good role for this because I love doing spontaneous adventures and no one would expect it to be me,” candidate two said.
Beyond the excitement of trying out for this role, students also recognize the importance of the mascot’s role in building the school’s spirit.
“It would mean a lot to me to be able to represent the school at games and events,” candidate one said. “A lot of people either don’t show up to the sports or when they do they don’t cheer very much or support each other. I feel that If I were mascot I would be trying to get the crowd hyped and to cheer and support our school. I think that being mascot would help the environment feel more energized and cheering people on. I also hope that I will be able to inspire other people to break out of their comfort zone and try new things.”
*** Candidates names have been kept anonymous to enable the mascots to be kept a secret until they are revealed.
