Clackamas Cougar costume
looks a little green
BY KATIE ARCHER
A mascot is the identity of a team or a
school. For some people, it is the first
thing they think of when they hear
the name of an organization.
Clackamas Community College’ s
mascot is the Cougar and the cougar
mascot name is Cougie.
At the beginning of last year,
Associated Student Governm ent
noticed that there was mold growing
inside Cougie’ s costume. Michelle
Baker, student life and leadership
—adviser, thinks that the costume was
improperly stored after someone
wore it. The person may have put it
in a plastic bag, leaving Cougie moldy,
smelly and unhealthy.
Another problem with the mascot
costume is that students who wear it
overheat very quickly because the fan
inside the helmet is broken.
ASG president Brent Finkbeiner
said the costume w asn’t healthy
or safe for students to wear. With
personal experience wearing the
costume, Finkbeiner can attest to
the smell.
Finkbeiner said, “ It was gross.”
If one does choose to sm ell the
6 Clackamas Print NOVEMBER 1 8 ,2 0 1 5 theclackamasprint.com
Cougar costum e, it sm ells like a
middle school boys’ locker room that
people can wear.
Before the costume went out of
commission, Cougie could be seen
around campus at sporting events
and Welcome Week.
“ [A mascot is a] symbol of a school,”
said Ryan Markuson, a second-year
student. “ Important for school events
other than that pretty irrelevant.”
Cougie’ s costume has been around
for a while. Baker said the costume
is more than five years old but less
than io.
ASG ordered a replacement online
last year and Finkbeiner said, “ It was
not as advertised. It was a costume
that came in and it was really, um, it
was really poorly made. It was real
poor quality, so we kinda have to start
all over.”
Searching for good quality mascots
costumes is difficult. Most searches
provide low quality costumes that
look like Halloween costumes. ASG
is trying to find a good company that
makes mascot costumes.
Refurbishing the current mascot
was an idea that Finkbeiner would
be interested in as a way to lower the
overall cost. He knows that people
like the current Cougie costume.
There are options but where to start
isn’t quite as clear. How much would
it cost to replace the costume? What
about refurbishing the
costume? Who would
refurbish the costume
and how much would
r e fu r b is h in g
th e
costume be?
ASG’ s last figures for
a costume were around
$2,ooo-$3,ooo.
The funds for replac
ing a mascot are hard
to get straight out of
student government. ASG funds go
to help events that ASG hosts and
clubs or trips for student groups to go
on. Buying a new costume would cut
down on those events and Finkbeiner
can’t justify that spending.
“ If I had m y choice o f three
events or a number of activities for
students to do that would help them
get connected to their college or
get information out to them ,” said
Finkbeiner, “ I’d rather do that than
spend money on the mascot.”
Second year student James Jeffrey
said, “A mascot isn’t too important,
but it does have some merit.”
Jeffrey suggested that replacing
the m ascot could be
som ething students
could vote on but then
said it might be best to
leave it in the hands of
the people who know
how the process works.
F in k b e in e r
d id
say th at if people
fro m a th le tic s or
administration would be
willing to help out with
funds, then ASG would be able to
move the replacement of the mascot
up on the priorities list.
W hether ASG decides to spend
money to replace the costume or
spend money on students, Markuson
said, “ It’s a positive either way.”
It’ s best that the costume is not
worn until Cougie is refurbished or
replaced.
"A mascot isn’t
too important,
but it does
have some
merit."