You see the Cougar every Friday night at Oakton’s football games leading chants and hyping up the student section. This unknown student is dressed head to toe in cougar fur, and in the history of Oakton mascots these students have remained anonymous, and still are for this story. A few weeks ago, the Cougar mascot tryouts were held and open to all Oakton students. However, since the student behind the mask has remained anonymous, the interviews were also held anonymously- the two articles will be referred as cougar #1 and cougar #2. The interviews were conducted through Mrs. Susan Silva, one of Oakton’s art teachers that knows the infamous Cougars.

Many of the students that tried out for the mascot had always known the mascot was something they’d want to become. Their enthusiastic personalities and their enjoyment for dancing made them all perfect for the mascot; being a Cougar was also a way for these students to be involved with Oakton spirit, but at the same time give them the opportunity to do something that they knew they would enjoy and be good at.

The tryouts might’ve been intimidating and nerve-wracking for many Oakton students, however there are some tough Cougars that really enjoy cheering and getting students to embrace Oakton spirit. As part of being the mascot, one has to think on their feet with cheers to do and think of tactics to get the students excited. The Cougars who did tryout had a mapped out routine for the most part, but when it came to the actual tryouts, they incorporated some of their impromptu steps with their practiced routine.

According to the responses from the Cougars, trying out in the Cougar mascot costume was a lot harder than expected. “The tryouts were definitely challenging but I loved every sweaty minute” said cougar #1. However, there is one thing that helps with the heat in the cougar costume- a small fan. One Cougar had quite the experience while trying out- cougar #2 said, “There is a fan in the costume, but it doesn’t do much to keep you cool. All I did was get my hair stuck in it and I had to cut it out!”.  Not only does it get extremely sweaty in there, but it can often start getting hard to see. Cougar #2 said, “The Cougar suit isn’t heavy, but it is difficult to keep the head on and at an angle you can see out of. I do occasionally bump into people due to the lack of vision,” said . Being the mascot requires a great deal of effort and time, but it is worth it for some of the Oakton students who do a great job at getting the crowd excited.

However, the costume isn’t the biggest part of being the mascot. The best part for many of the Cougars was getting the opportunity to be a part of the “hype squad.” One Cougar did not only like having the power in getting the crowd rowdy, but the interaction with all of the students around him/her made the experience more enjoyable. “I also really enjoyed messing with the cheerleaders and seeing how shocked everyone was when I dropped into the splits,” said Cougar #1. The moments where the school spirit is at its peak and where everyone is enjoying the company of other students around them is what really makes being the mascot worth it.

The students who tried out for the Cougar mascot were not the only people who played an important role in the process but also the judges- coaches, teachers, or staff members- and leadership.The most important requirement that the judges looked for in the mascot was interacting with the crowd, exhibiting grandiose moves, and giving off positive enthusiasm.Oakton leadership is in charge of overseeing that the mascot is doing its job and guiding them in the right direction. There are some strict rules put in place for the mascot:

• The mascot is only allowed to miss a minimal amount of games per quarter
• Must always remain anonymous and never reveal their identity- some of the Cougars who tried out didn’t even take off their costume until they were out of sight
• Cougars cannot communicate at all; they can only mime

Although students may not think about it, the Cougar mascot plays a prominent role in Oakton’s school spirit. Being that person inside the Cougar costume is a tough job, but the Cougar mascot has successfully  and continues to bring out the rowdy side of Oakton students.