Bill McMillen's Blog

On Tuesday, February 17 a group of UT students, faculty members, and administrators are traveling to the Statehouse in Columbus to participate in the annual Mascot Day for legislators. For many years now the Inter-University Council has planned a day when representatives from the fourteen four-year universities in Ohio can meet with legislators and other state officials. The highlight of the day is when the university mascots attend a 4 p.m. reception in the Atrium, which is the enclosed area between the Capital and the State Senate office building.

 This may seem a little silly. However, politicians love to have their photos taken with the mascots. Last year even the governor showed up for a group hug, I mean photo. Over the years as I have visited many legislative offices that prominently featured a mascot photo behind the legislator’s desk.

 Fortunately, the Atrium is a large area because all those mascots take up a lot of room. I mean you have to be able to make out a mascot from the top row of a football stadium. Mascots tend to be a bit territorial as well. They fortunately don’t get into fights, but there usually are some bumping matches. Rocky and Freddy Falcon. Zippy the Kangaroo and the OU Bobcat. It’s inevitably the job of government relations administrators like me to make sure the bumping doesn’t get out of hand.

 Times are tough with the state legislators. The budget is tight. We don’t know how much stimulus money either the State of Ohio or UT will get. Everything is pretty grim so maybe it’s not so bad to have a little fun with mascots.