3 Ratings / 0 Comments
During a football game a few weeks ago I thought “We have great high school mascots in Mesquite”; and then I thought there might be a good story here. Now that I have photographed each mascot and met the students behind the costumes I can say that we have more than five great high school mascots; we also have five terrific kids that any district would be lucky to have representing their schools.
You’ll learn a little about these students in a moment, but first let’s talk about those mascot costumes. Have you ever wondered: Is the costume heavy? Can they see very well wearing that big mascot head? Is it hard to walk around in that outfit? Do they get hot? Answers to these questions depend upon which mascot you are talking about.
No one said their mascot costumes were terribly heavy, but by the end of the game those costumes might not feel as light as they did at the start. Most can see reasonably well out in front but not so well down near their feet or to the sides. For this reason a few do need helpers if they are going to walk very far. The bulkier costumes and especially those with large feet require adjustments to learn how to move around.
The costumes for Patch the Pirate and Wrangler Man are more like ordinary clothes (except for Patch’s head) so they don’t have much trouble with the heat. The other costumes can get hot inside. Strategies to keep cool include cooling vests, damp towels, frequent water breaks and even small battery operated fans inside the costume heads. Those fans, however, did not seem to be very popular. One student said her fan is terribly loud, and another said her hair got caught in it the first time she turned it on.
But everyone agreed they love their school and love being the mascot. A small bit of information follows for each student mascot. It was fun to meet these students and take their photos as themselves and their alter egos. If you get the chance to meet any of them then I am sure you’ll be as impressed as I was. And if you do get that chance then be sure to tell them what a great job they are doing representing their school and the Mesquite school district.
Stormy the Skeeter
School: Mesquite
Sponsor: Danielle Tyler
Student: Kylie Gillean
Year: Senior
Activities: Softball, FCA, School Mascot
Future Plans: To attend business school at Texas A&M
Other: Kylie has six sisters including an identical twin on the cheerleading squad and another pair of older twins.
Spirit the Stallion
School: North Mesquite
Sponsor: Jaime Emerson
Student: Marissa Gagliardo
Year: Senior
Activities: Varsity Soccer, Honors Orchestra, National Honor Society, Mu Alpha Theta, School Mascot
Future Plans: Graduate in top 10% of class and attend BaylorUniversity. She is interested in archeology and medicine.
Other: Her friends would describe her as loud and outgoing (her words).
Wrangler Man
School: West Mesquite
Sponsor: Yokabel Rodriguez
Student: Devin Gardner
Year: Junior
Activities: Basketball (year round), School Mascot
Future Plans: To attend law school at SMU
Other: Devin was Wrangler Man his freshman and sophomore years at WMHS
Patch the Pirate
School: Poteet
Sponsor: Amber Dugan
Student: Reachelle Spieker
Year: Senior
Activities: Softball, FCA, Vice President of National Honor Society, School Mascot
Future Plans: To study marine biology – possibly in California
Other: Student leadership at her church
Jazzy the Jaguar
School: John Horn
Sponsor: Tracie O’Neal
Student: Amanda Shaffner
Year: Senior
Activities: Senior Leadership, President Senior Council, Student Leadership, School Mascot
Future Plans: To study education and teach in under developed countries
Other: She has three younger brothers
Note to on-line readers: The five mascot photos have also been uploaded separate from the story so that these may be viewed in a larger format.
