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As the daughter of a lifelong Buckeyes fan, I've spent countless Saturdays tailgating outside Ohio Stadium and nights inside the Schottenstein Center watching basketball. In one of my earliest memories, I was maybe 6 years old, wearing a little OSU cheerleading uniform and sitting in the stands at the Schott when I felt a tap on my shoulder.
It was Brutus Buckeye – Ohio State's ever-smiling nutty mascot – inviting me to dance with him in the aisle.
I froze. I wasn't scared of Brutus, but this timid child was scared of the spotlight. I could feel the crowd's eyes turning to watch their favorite mascot dance with this little kid. Still, I obliged and danced for a few seconds before quickly returning to my seat.
I've thought about this memory a lot over the last year. This month, The Dispatch has published a five-part series about Brutus and the team of student athletes, coaches and others who make the mascot possible. Multimedia journalist Adam Cairns and I spent a full calendar year following Brutus' every move, from mascot camp in the waterpark capital of the world to the sidelines at the 'Shoe to Disney World for the college mascot national championships.
Thousands of Ohio State fans have watched Brutus grow over the last 60 years from little more than a brown papier-mâché dome with legs to an iconic college mascot. But few have had a front-row seat.
That's because the student athletes who portray Brutus are sworn to secrecy. It's partly for their safety, but it's also to keep the magic alive.
If anything, taking a peek behind the curtain has made Brutus even more magical to me. It's made me appreciate the sheer physical strength needed to be Brutus, the comedic talent of being funny without ever speaking a word, and the massive commitment that these young men and women make to join this elite group.
There's more work that goes into being a college mascot than I ever could've imagined. Adam and I have both realized that we never would've made the cut – although my head-banging skills aren't too shabby.
I often joked with the Brutus team that reporting this story was my special treat. Covering higher education is a massive lift right now. Ohio State's whirlwind spring semester tested my sanity at times. But knowing I could stop by Brutus practice or join him for an event was always a joy.
I hope you experience some of that joy reading through this series, as well as clicking through the photo galleries and watching the videos that Adam produced.
Being Brutus: A year behind the scenes with Ohio State's iconic mascot
Higher education reporter Sheridan Hendrix can be reached at [email protected] and on Signal at @sheridan.120. You can follow her on Instagram at @sheridanwrites.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Reporter Sheridan Hendrix spent a year with Brutus Buckeye. Here's what she learned
Continue reading...
It was Brutus Buckeye – Ohio State's ever-smiling nutty mascot – inviting me to dance with him in the aisle.
I froze. I wasn't scared of Brutus, but this timid child was scared of the spotlight. I could feel the crowd's eyes turning to watch their favorite mascot dance with this little kid. Still, I obliged and danced for a few seconds before quickly returning to my seat.
I've thought about this memory a lot over the last year. This month, The Dispatch has published a five-part series about Brutus and the team of student athletes, coaches and others who make the mascot possible. Multimedia journalist Adam Cairns and I spent a full calendar year following Brutus' every move, from mascot camp in the waterpark capital of the world to the sidelines at the 'Shoe to Disney World for the college mascot national championships.
Thousands of Ohio State fans have watched Brutus grow over the last 60 years from little more than a brown papier-mâché dome with legs to an iconic college mascot. But few have had a front-row seat.
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That's because the student athletes who portray Brutus are sworn to secrecy. It's partly for their safety, but it's also to keep the magic alive.
If anything, taking a peek behind the curtain has made Brutus even more magical to me. It's made me appreciate the sheer physical strength needed to be Brutus, the comedic talent of being funny without ever speaking a word, and the massive commitment that these young men and women make to join this elite group.
There's more work that goes into being a college mascot than I ever could've imagined. Adam and I have both realized that we never would've made the cut – although my head-banging skills aren't too shabby.
I often joked with the Brutus team that reporting this story was my special treat. Covering higher education is a massive lift right now. Ohio State's whirlwind spring semester tested my sanity at times. But knowing I could stop by Brutus practice or join him for an event was always a joy.
I hope you experience some of that joy reading through this series, as well as clicking through the photo galleries and watching the videos that Adam produced.
Being Brutus: A year behind the scenes with Ohio State's iconic mascot
Higher education reporter Sheridan Hendrix can be reached at [email protected] and on Signal at @sheridan.120. You can follow her on Instagram at @sheridanwrites.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Reporter Sheridan Hendrix spent a year with Brutus Buckeye. Here's what she learned
Continue reading...
