Beyond just a costume and cheers, the Velociraptor embodies the spirit, strength, and unity of the LASA community. From sideline cheers to pep rallies, the costume is donned each year to encourage school pride among the student population.
Because the secret identity of the mascots can be so crucial to maintaining their mascot effect, it’s important that they remain silent throughout their performance during games and pep rallies. One of the students who represents the mascot, Blue the Raptor, explained why it’s important to keep its identity a secret.
“I don’t think they want people giving an actual face to the mascot,” Blue said. “They want the mascot to be its own thing. And if they start speaking, that might break some people’s interpretations of the mascot. I’m sure some people kind of build up like, oh, the mascot sounds like this, or the mascot might sound like this. If they actually hear me start speaking, it’s like, okay, that’s not what I thought it was going to sound like.”
LASA has two students dress up as the mascot and go to games. According to Alvarado, because of the nature of the costume and the temperature outside, being a mascot is no small feat.
“I think that people don’t really understand how athletically inclined you need to be to be able to be the mascot,” Alvarado said. “…and the amount of stamina and endurance you need to be able to handle being in the costume.”
Although being the mascot may seem like a simple job, there’s more than meets the eye, according to Blue. In Blue’s opinion, the job of the mascot is to support the other aspects of the event they are attending.
“You’re doing enough so that it looks like you’re entertaining, but you’re not kind of stealing the show,” Blue said. “Because it’s a giant mascot, people are going to look at that. That part’s pretty fun, but the part that I think is most fun is when you go up to the bleachers and just kind of mess around with people for a bit and take pictures.”
Vivien Loving is a senior and a cheerleader, and she has been a part of the cheer team since her junior year. She stated that the mascot supports the cheer team and is an essential part of sporting events.
“I think that by having a mascot, especially being able to rely on a mascot being there every game,” Loving said. “It really helps the cheer team to keep our energy up: to hype us up and hype the crowd up, making everything super fun.”
For both the student body and the cheerleading team, the mascot means more than just a costume. According to Loving, it represents all that is positive about the spirit of LASA: the drive, kindness, and generosity that inhabit the students.
“The aspect of having a mascot there makes everything so much more exciting and impactful,” Loving said. “When I see Blue on the sidelines, I feel encouraged to cheer louder and stronger. It reminds me why I came to LASA: to be the best person I can be.”
The LASA Raptor is more than just a striking figure at our events; it represents the dedication and spirit of our entire school community. The choice of the Raptor as our mascot highlights our uniqueness and ambition, setting us apart from the usual options. Being a mascot goes beyond wearing a costume; it’s about embodying the energy and pride of our school. The effort, stamina, and involvement required to fully embrace this role reflect the strength and unity we strive for at LASA.
Megan Gerold and Ellington Tough contributed to this article
