New Goose on the Flock

Gus the goose was revealed as WC's new mascot at the All-Campus Picnic last Sunday.
By Courtney Wicker
News Writer

In the early evening of Sept. 4, the Hodson Green was populated with many faces from the Washington College community.

In the past, the All-Campus Picnic welcomed both the students and the faculty back to campus. It was a way to see old faces and connect with new ones.

The same theme was in full-flow this past Sunday, but there was an added touch in the atmosphere: This year’s picnic would mark the debut appearance of WC’s new mascot.

Buzz had been swarming around the campus long before the All-Campus Picnic. Many people had been wondering and anticipating what the mascot would be.

“I think it’ll be a shoreman,” said freshman Maddie Zinz, before the big reveal.

Students have been speculating since the announcement aboiut choosing a new mascot was made last semester. Several members of the WC community guessed that the mascot was going to be a goose.

There were several hints given that people picked up on. The bookstore had lots of goose items, the tagline for the mascot was, “Who’s going to lead our flock?” and a video surfaced on the WC website explaining that a huge egg had been found on campus, and it would hatch around the time of the All-Campus Picnic.

As the lines grew shorter around the food tables, it grew close to the time for the mascot to be unveiled.

President Mitchell Reiss stepped outside on the balcony overlooking the Hodson green. He started by thanking everyone, and wishing everyone a good year, then he said, “I don’t know if any of you remember that a huge egg was found on campus. It has finally hatched.”

The crowd hummed with gossip as Reiss continued to speak about this mysterious egg.

The doors behind him swept open and a maroon goose in a navy blue general’s coat ran out. The crowd cheered and clapped loudly. Reiss introduced us to Gus, the goose.

“This goose is a direct descendent to a goose that befriended George Washington many years ago,” said Reiss.

Gus, in true mascot fashion, cheered, danced, charmed the ladies (First Lady Elizabeth Reiss received the first mascot hug), and teased students. Gus warranted a couple laughs when he mimed what various sports team do and agreed with Reiss that he’d check out a few of the theater productions.

The student body received Gus with open arms.

“I kind of expected the mascot to be a goose and, really, the person playing the mascot won me over—it was all just so silly and fun, and I think that Gus will be a nice thing for the school to bond over,” said junior Ji Kim.

As Gus’s appearance came to a close, the crowd happily seemed to take him in. The student body had lots to say in regards to the new goose.

Sophomore Brittni Landgraf said, “It’s confusing now with Gus, because it seems almost as if we have three mascots. We have the shoremen, George Washington, and now Gus.”

Few students were particularly surprised when Gus was revealed.

“I liked [Gus], I thought it was nice because we have a goose on everything already,” said sophomore Jimmy Cardone.

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