From the Lion's Mouth: Do You Have What it Takes to be a Mascot?

PSU - Schuylkill Nittany Lion mascot, Eric Quackenbush

Various thoughts and images are conjured up when the name "Penn State" is brought to a conversation: Beaver Stadium, Joe Paterno, blue and white, the Lion Shrine, Nittany Inn, Old Main, THON (the largest student-run philanthropy in the world, fighting childhood cancer), Bryce Jordan Center, and of course the Nittany Lion.

Penn State has 24 campuses throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, including World Campus, which is an interactive online "campus" for students both domestic and abroad. Each campus within the state however, has a Nittany Lion mascot. I happen to be one of the many who is privileged to state that I am a Penn State mascot.

But what goes into being the mascot for Penn State? Well, as it turns out, the commitment varies by campus, as no two campuses in the Penn State system are alike. While I won't bore you with my time commitments to being the Nittany Lion at my campus, I will share with you the commitment that goes into being the Lion at the main campus, or as we Penn Staters refer to it, "UP."

Per the video: I may be mistaken, but I don't believe there are over 400 appearances made by the Lion. As I recall, it is in fact within the realm of 200, which is still a lot! Especially when considering the student who takes on this responsibility has classes to attend, homework assignments, projects, and research papers to write while attending Penn State. I can only imagine that at times it must feel like there aren't enough hours in the day to accomplish what needs to be done!

Another of the Lion's famous stunts are one-armed push-ups. Yes, I too am versed in this activity, although I haven't had an opportunity as of yet to showcase my skill.

And of course the Lion has to have some mad dancing skills to perform in front of a crowd that is typically 110,000 strong on game days!

Then there is the student section's favorite request on game day, when the Lion goes crowd surfing among chants of "We want the Lion!"

Of course there is so much more to being the Lion than football games. As the Lion, the student taking on the responsibility is expected to carry his or herself in a manner that is respectable toward Penn State. In recognition of all the demands for the student's time, the "chosen one" who carries the honor and tradition of being the mascot in State College, also receives a full scholarship. In the end, it's like any other job in that its demands can be rigorous and the job takes priority over one's personal life, while also having to juggle one's time between academics, being the mascot, and any other endeavors a student has taken on. However, it's unlike any job at the same time. It's a time-honored tradition to be the one in the Lion suit.