The Stetson Reporter

The i t "* ^(brhhfsOQkstCoOkam^ JL fbrida-'s Obtest CoHegiate Vfeivspaper H . 1, <l y\ni»cy^yf <'■ i «ui-Hiiink»^ni v ir j,\M\)k ^A at- "H i~rin*d! ]) 'ilfUliL ipA Ji IjlU-lIhwv^rn 11 if ,, snyirfroiif ^SMisjswf^ , f ^lh«>- '^syi.^py iiy ^. MnKONKCi:' }i^ CIcMkfii i(il0 [WM! ^pct«6i)i| |Jte}?j\^i]vxi\f i%fUwil(, [HkCtft VVfenW; ]]l()t\ Mfijfpjhc-f] 4 Hatter mascot: to be or not to be? David Young The Stetson Repoter_ ii Those of you who have attended a Hatter spforts event lately, or have even looked at a Stetson T-shirt, might have noticed something that was noticeably absent—a mascot. Stetson University's nickname, of course, has long been "Hatters." However, this nickname remained without a mascot to represent it until the late 1950's, when a student on the university's yearbook staff drew an interpretation of the nickname. This mascot which was similar to the "Mad Hatter" of Alice in Wonderlandlame, was officially adopted by the student body in 1966. . ' However, the university did not create a costumed version of the Hatter until the early 1970s, when a mascot was needed in order for Stetson's basketball program to enter NCAA The Stetson Hatter in ealier years. Back then, the mascot was just what the name implied—a hat Division I. This mascot took the form of a two-foot-high hat, created from chicken wire and burlap, that fit over the body of a Hatter supporter. Several years later, in conjunction with "The Madd Hatter," Stetson's humor magazine, a 'Mad Hatter* costume was created. This costume was used for the next decade, until 1993, when Stetson's Athletic Department decided it was time to find another character to wear the title of "Hatter." Jim Kuebler, ticket manager and director of promotions for the Athletic Department, said that the previous mascot costume had become "outdated," and that the decision was made to create a new mascof'that will better represent Stetson University athletics, and the whole university." He noted that the Stetson men's basketball team may be playing in several televised games, and that the mascot was wanted for those games for "the value it has as we grow in our recognition." Kuebler added that use oi* tlie new Stetson mascot would, not -be limited to basketball. The character, he says, "has value, not only to the athletics, but to the whole community," . and would also be used to help represent the university in community programs, parades and other local Photo courtesyof Stetson Archives events, as well as in other university sports. "Our attempt is to get something thaf s going to help create some more school spirit, something that the students are going to appreciate and take pride as having as their mascot," Kuebler said. According to Kuebler, the idea of creating a new mascot was first explored in 1992. The next step to creating a new Hatter came in summer of 1993, when the decision was" made to hire costume designers to create sketches of possible mascots, and to allow the students to "decide what they wanted, what would look'best, and make comments." An- Atlanta costume designer was commissioned to create four sketches of possible mascots, and with the assistance of the Student Government Association these sketches were shown to students at the beginning of the 1993-94 school year. However, according to Kuebler, there was very little feedback on the sketches, as.well as a general dissatisfaction with their level of workmanship. Eventually, Kuebler said, student government and the athletic department "decided, 'We don't care how long this is going to take us, we're going to do it right,'...just to make sure that we're not going to spend $10,000 for a hew costume, and have something that students are going to turn around in six months and say, 'That is not what we wanted.'" So the first artist was turned down, and another company was hired to create three new character designs. This past spring, students were given the chance to comment on the designs, and "vote". for their favorite. The costume designs that were voted on included a "Hatter" character, whose most distinctive feature was a 'smiling' brown ten-gallon hat that completely covered its wearer from head down to about waist level; and an "It" character, a green and white fur-covered 'thing' that Kuebler noted, was "not gen- j s t 1 i t 1 i \ i 1 I i i I I „^^^ _Jt^.. v"""*^ ..^ '_ _, ■ ' •• - ,-:y . h jr'^ '■ i T""*-! 1 " The Stetson Hatter in more recent times. Apparently, the Hatter has changed with the times; gaining character and personality der-specific, not an animal...just an animated object that you could get'in there and really not turn off anybody, and be proud of." . . Student turnout remained poor, though, with a lack of support for any particular design, and SGA and the Athletic Department realized that the design of a new character would not be completed during the 1993-94 basketball season. So the second set of designs were scrapped, and SGA and the Athletic Department decided to "take a step back, rethink where we are headed, and what we need to do," Kuebler said. Over this past summer, Kuebler and SGA decided that having character designs created and then voted on by students was an. "unrealistic" approach to creating a mascot. Instead, they decided to hire a designer to come on campus, a person who can "actually talk to the students on campus, and from their ideas draw up a couple of plans," Kuebler said. This time, the taskofcollectingideas for the mascot will fall into the hands of a committee of 20-30 representatives from various student, faculty, staff and alumni organizations, assembled with the assistance of SGA. These committee members will receive input from memBers of thejr organizations, and will then consult a costume designer, who will design the costume and, after a six to eight week production period, create the costume of the next Hatter mascot based on their ideas. SGA President Mike Holbein said he expected a proposal on the committee to be brought before SG A.this week,.. with the committee itself being formed soon afterward. The committee, he said, will attempt to reach the point where "pretty-much everybody is okay with the mascot" that has been proposed. Holbein said he hopes SGA will be "well See MASCOT, page 2 Cheerleading tumbles; Sync replaces -Becky Bridges The Stetson Reporter- In an unexpected turn of events, Stetson University will be without a varsity cheerleading squad not just for this year, but indefinitely. According to Jim Kuebler, Stetson Athletics' ticket manager and former advisor to both the cheerleading squad and the Synchronicity dance team, the trend at athletic events is to have an "upbeat atmosphere" encouraged by a pep band and dancers akin to the 'Orlando Magic Girls.' Kuebler says it is in the best interest of the university to combine the entities of dance team and cheerleading squad in an effort to increase school spirit and create a more professional look, especially since Stetson is receiving more media attention as of late. Jeff Altier, Associate Director of Athletics, agreed, and said, "I've seen across [the] country... cheerleaders and dance teams... as one group. I see this as a positive step." However, in phasing out the cheerleading squad, the powers-that- be forgot one detail — to officially notify the cheerleaders that their sport would be no more. Deena Baker, captain of the squad, says, "I haven't even been given the courtesy of a phone call," from the administrators in the Athletic Department, though she has been in contact with new Synchronicity Coach Dawn Seay (who was also to be the cheerleading coach). At the end of last spring semester,' all seemed to be ori track for the cheerleading program to continue as always, according to Baker. The team, "had made a lot of plans," Baker says, to work more closely with the pep band and Synchronicity in coordinating their efforts to increase fan involve ment and school spirit at the basketball games. There was a hope for more unity between the three groups, says - Baker. . But complications started to appear for the cheerleading squad this summer, when they had planned to attend a training camp in Georgia. According to Baker, the cheerleaders had originally been told that their hotel rooms and transportation expenses would be covered by the university. But then the university changed its mind and would not pay the hotel costs, but would instead reimburse squad members for their travel expenses, rather than provide for them prior to the trip. Despite the summer's complications, it was not until this fall when returning cheerleaders were informed ofthe possibility that their team would exist no more, Baker says. "The first we [the returning cheerleaders] heard of it was after we started practicing before tryouts [for new team members]." Seay told returning cheerleaders that the university wanted to concentrate its resources on supporting a more dance-oriented squad, but that she was willing to work with both squads. Though only four students were returning to cheer this year, hopes f- were high for a new crop of cheerleaders to join them. The squad had a table at.the Organizational Fair, where they attracted 18 prospective new cheerleaders and also had a quite a few in attendance at their organizational meeting. However, publicity to attract these prospective cheerleaders, as well as dance team members, was lacking. Plans had been made to have a banner put up in the Commons, flyers put in every mailbox and an advertisement placed in The Stetson Reporter. But somehow these plans were not followed through on by those'respon- sible for carrying them out, and as a result, the turnout at tryouts was lower than expected, says Baker. Another factor in shutting down the cheerleading squad seems to have been money. Associate Intercollegiate Athletics Director Altier says this new structure for the Stetson spirit squad works out well economically. Baker also thinks one of the problems is money. Cheerleading, considered an official varsity sport, asks its participants to spend six to eight hours each week practicing and performing. But unlikeothervarsity sports, cheerleading's budget was not able to offer scholarships to make participation more attractive,- according to Baker. Baker says she has talked to some of the basketball players, the athletes who the squad cheered for, and she says they seem shocked that there will no longer be cheerleaders, since most other schools have a cheering squad. But according to Coach Seay> spirit won't be lacking at the basketball games, despite the absence of a cheerleading squad. While this year will be different, trying to adjust to a new structure, "Synchronicity is going to be more like NBA (National Basketball Association) cheerleading> with more powerful music, and we [Synchronicity] would also perform during time-outs." Kuebler says the aim of these changes is to increase spirit and attendance at Stetson's athletic events. Only time, and the advent of the basketball season, will tell if these changes will bring about the desired increase in fan support and spirit for Hatter sports. Information for this article was also gathered by Davina Yetter. r •S. tp fSSW&j iSt 9252E yfe»t^«. tr «I * f%yiWJ u -a-* \:-z /-_* -:.* Last year's Synchronicity Dance Team performs at the Sunshine Challenge at the Orlando Arena. The team will now serve a more active role in creating spirit among fans at Hatter basketball games. n' ten Davina Yetter y The Stetson Reporter- "I heard the water splash behind me, then a spray came up, then the water just exploded. I didn't want to believe that it was happening." - These thoughts rain through senior Jeff Weakley's head, as he was attacked by a shark-off.of'.a barren section of Flagler Beach while surfing one afternoon a few weeks ago. Weakley, an avid surf er and a member of Stetson's Surf Club, went to the beach with his brother and some friends the day of the incident. As he heard the splashing behind him, Weakley first thought that someone was trying to play a joke on him—until he felt the bite. "I think it was a pretty good size shark, because of the sound it made in the water." After the shark bit his foot, Weakley said he kicked both feet out of the water and Onto the board, and then paddled as fast as he could to the shore. From there, his friends "took him to the emergency room at Flagler Memorial Hospital, where he received 30 stitches. The shark left a gash in the side of his foot and lacerated the tops of his toes. Doctors have told him that he is very fortunate, and that the shark came close to severing, a few tendons. Weakley still does not have complete feeling in his right foot, but, while he is confined to walking on crutches for the next few weeks, no permanent damage was done. Weakley plans to continue surfing after his foot heals, despite the frightening experience. He reflected, "I feel like I'm lucky...considering wha t it was that bit me, this is really a minor injury."