VALDOSTA - Come celebrate the mascot’s 10th birthday during the Blaze Birthday Bash from 3-4:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 1, on the second floor of the Student Union. Enjoy cake, enter raffles and test your hand at a variety of games — from pin the sunglasses on Blaze to rounds of fiery bean bag toss. The Blazin’ Brigade pep band and cheerleaders will entertain the spirited crowd as Blaze signs autographs and passes out his latest trading cards.

Leading up to the birthday extravaganza, Blaze has set up a series of promotional events in honor of his 10 years of spirited service to the VSU community:

Dining Discounts
Receive 10 percent off your order when you spot Blaze between 2-4 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 30, and Tuesday, Aug. 31, at one of the following campus eateries: Einstein Bros. Bagels, Sky Ranch Grill, SubConnection and Jazzman’s.

Trivia Gift Baskets
STUDENTS: Look for a trivia game in the Spectator student newspaper’s Thursday, Aug. 26, edition. Students who turn in a list of the correct answers to the Blaze-themed questions will be entered into a drawing for a premiere gift basket from the VSU Bookstore. Answers to the questions are posted in the Student Union, the University Center, Odum Library and the Student Mail Center.

FACULTY/STAFF: The Monday, Aug. 30, VSU Connection e-newsletter will list a series of trivia questions about Blaze. Faculty and staff who send an e-mail to news@valdosta.edu with the correct answers will be entered into a drawing for a signature gift basket from the VSU Bookstore.

* Both students and faculty/staff have until Friday at noon to submit answers to trivia questions. Winners will receive an e-mail by Monday morning to come pick up their prize.

A Blazin' History

Long before Georgia's Uga slobbered onto the field or the Denver Nugget's Mountain Lion, Rocky, raked in six figures, mascots have reigned as a pivotal part of human motivational culture. Neanderthals in animalistic costumes danced round tribal fires to inspire fruitful hunting and gathering; eons later, not much has changed as modern mascots carry on to rouse victory on athletic battlefields. Since the early 1880s, when Princeton's The Tiger roared onto the scene as the first college lucky charm, universities have adopted animals, plants - and, yes, even elements - to electrify their athletic teams and fans.

Valdosta State has struggled with its identity throughout the years - first endorsing the Rebels, then embracing a cartoonish dragon, and finally striking up with a flaming matchstick. The fiery Blaze head atop a jersey-wearing torso has symbolized Blazer pride for the past 10 years. His scorching intensity embodies the tradition of passionate education and enduring community that is Valdosta State University.

1953-1973 - The Rebels of South Georgia

Shortly after the exclusively female Georgia State Women's College transformed into the coed Valdosta State College, the institution adopted a mascot - the Rebels - for the first time in its nearly 50-year existence. VSC's burgeoning male population pushed to establish a number of fraternities and sports teams in the early 1950s. The first all-male basketball team called itself "The Rebels," and the name spread like wildfire. Soon, yearbooks, notebooks and apparel were emblazoned with the red and white image of a cartoonish Confederate general charging through the "V" of the campus logo.

The Rebel insignia never materialized into a sideline-dancing costume, but the crowd was no less enthusiastic about its spirited personification. Cheers and school songs proudly referenced the rebel yell; pep rallies were a flutter of Rebel banners, hats and pompons.

1973-1987 - Trail Blazing with a New Name

During the summer of 1973, the university embraced a new mascot - the Blazers. Deborah Davis, director of VSU Archives and Special Collections, said that although motivations for the mascot change are not well documented, many people accept the transition was a move to adopt a more socially acceptable image.

"I can't say with any certainty about why the change was made then or what the arguments were for the Rebels moving to the Blazers," said Davis, who attended VSC in the 1980s. "In hindsight it seems fairly clear that is it was a move away from images that had once evoked ‘southern history' and after the civil rights movement may have evoked something more disquieting."

Despite mild resistance from the student body, the new nickname was accepted. The Blazers - believed to be a reference to the pioneering spirit of "trailblazers " - signified Valdosta State's innovative spirit and sense of purpose. No known attempts were made to personify the moniker.

1987-2000 - The Fire-Breathing Generation

By the late 1980s, the campus longed for a tangible lucky charm. Two alumni funded the creation of a physical adaptation of the Blaze image, and "Blaze the Dragon" - a jolly, fire-breathing creature - swooped onto the scene. Many people adored VSU's oversized lizard as he strutted around the field, waving optimistically at the crowd; others were less impressed with what they considered a cumbersome, goofy figure.

Ken Ferrell served as the dean of Student Affairs during the transition from the Rebels to the Blazers. The students were desperate to have a physical representation, Ferrell said; but over time, it became clear that the dragon's heavy costume was daunting for the student inside and restricted the mascot's interactions with fans.

"The Dragon came first, but it was so unbearably hot in this South Georgia weather," said Ferrell, who was a charter member of VSC's Pi Kappa Phi in 1959. This more modern symbol fits with our climate and signifies our fiery pride for all things VSU."

2000-Present - Shining a Light on VSU

Discussions about replacing the fire-breathing beast didn't materialize into action until Woody Hearn, ‘98, designed an alternative - a matchstick man to embody the fiery spirit of the Blazer campus. Hearn recalls the moment that inspired him to sketch a new mascot. "Escorted by two VSU cheerleaders, this large mass of dull green fabric, topped with a Puff the Magic Dragon-esque head, ambled in slowly from somewhere in the back of the arena, waved, and then returned from where it came," Hearn said. "I was perplexed. Mascots are supposed to whip the fans into a frenzy. This mascot had done nothing of the sort."

Although many within the VSU community agreed a new mascot was in order, Hearn's attempts to create a more accessible and animated mascot were met with criticism. Over time, the fiery Blaze concept quickly became a fan favorite.

Blaze has since become a pillar of the university - galvanizing fans at athletic events and serving as an ambassador of Blazer pride during a range of community service events, academic endeavors and social gatherings. He has cheered on the university through good times and bad, an enduring symbol that sparks hope and ignites fond memories.

Bizarre Mascots

Think our mascot is bizarre, check out these unconventional lucky charms.

Speedy the Geoduck - Evergreen State

Artie the Fighting Artichoke - Scottsdale Community College

Sammy the Banana Slug - University of California Santa Cruz

Billiken - St. Louis University

The Fighting Okra - Delta State University

The Fighting Pickles - North Carolina School of the Arts

Boll Weevils - University of Arkansas Monticello

Brutus the Buckeye - Ohio State University

Gaylord the Camel - Campbell University

Big Red - Western Kentucky (Hilltoppers)

Quotes

"I always see him interacting with kids. They get so excited when he comes around giving the No. 1 sign. When you're playing out on the field, you can really tell when Blaze is pumping them up," said Brett Whitmire, VSU quarterback.

"I can't say with any certainty about why the change was made then or what the arguments were for the Rebels moving to the Blazers," said Deborah Davis, director of VSU Archives and Special Collections. "In hindsight it seems fairly clear that is it was a move away from images that had once evoked "southern history" and after the civil rights movement may have evoked something more disquieting."

"He's always upbeat and jumping around and fun," said senior Kaci West. "He's very encouraging and spirited." "It's cool that Blaze is dressed like one of the football players, so it's kind of like he is one of them."

"Blaze represents that VSU's fire is ignited; our school spirit is never dormant. Blaze provides us with a universal sign of our enthusiasm and positive energy," said Teddy Morris, '09, a former VSU offensive lineman. "It is amazing to watch him pump up the crowd."

"I was up in the crowd with a few buddies and we were just cheering on the team. Blaze came running up to our area and jumped in the middle of us and started cheering on the team. He had more spirit than all of us combined," said junior Aaron Fox.

"The kids love him, and he is wonderful at football games. I just wish we had more strength in our representation of the mascot. More people need to get behind the image," said Frances (Fran) Lundell, '73.

"We had announced that it was a little girl's ninth birthday at a basketball game last year. So Blaze went over to the crowd and got the girl to take her out to the middle of the court and dance with her. It was hilarious and cute at the same time. The crowd loved it," said Vanna Cure, Athletic Marketing graduate assistant.


"I was at VSU when Blaze came about, and those kids who wear that costume are the unsung heroes of the student body. That uniform has been to an untold number of places and traveled an untold number of miles in the community and at the university. My hat is off to them," said Ken Ferrell, former Dean of Student Affairs.

"One blazing hot day after a blazer football victory, curious freshmen made an attempt to discover who Blaze really was! Chasing him all over campus, Blaze ran into Brown Hall on the men's side and disappeared from all of his followers," said Loren Bass, '09. "Confused of where to look the students sat in the lobby of Brown Hall waiting for Blaze to return, but he never appeared. The mystery continues."

"My twin nephews are afraid of every other character - Mickey Mouse, pretty much all of the Disney characters - but they love Blaze," said Jodi Vickers, '07. "They sat on the Homecoming float last year and nothing mattered except trying to get to Blaze."

"When I was there, we were the Blazers but we didn't have a formal mascot," said Travis Cummings, '94. "I was working in Athletics as a student assistant, and I would blow smoke with fire extinguishers as the players ran through the stadium to the football field."

"Blaze is the eternal flame that will always be the true spirit of Valdosta State. He is a great identifier for the school and gives something for the students to rally around," said Donald Silvels, '89.

"When we made the transition from Rebels to Blazers, we needed to have a symbol. The Dragon came first, but it was so unbearably hot in this South Georgia weather. This more modern symbol fits with our climate and signifies our firey pride for all things VSU," said Ken Ferrell, former VP of Student Affairs.

Blazettiquite

Lots of energy
"If you don't have spirit, how can you expect to pump up the crowd. It can be draining, but you and the audience tend to feed off each other's energy."

Don't mind the HEAT
"I put my heart and soul into this, and you need to have that kind of passion to be able to withstand the heat and time commitments. Intensity and passion, that's what it's all about."

Roll with the punches

"At Meet the Blazers, the kids went crazy and started climbing all over me. An offensive lineman had to pull all of them off of me. You have to be ready for whatever comes your way."

Be in shape
"Blaze is better than a lot of other mascots because I don't have the bulky padding throughout the body. That flexibility allows me to be a lot more engaging with the crowd."

Signature Moves
"There are several Blazes each semester so that we can make sure to be at a variety of community and university events. Each student mascot has his or her own style. Some wear converse shoes and beat on buckets like drums; others sport Nike Shocks and sleep on the press table as they announce the opposing team's starters."

Embrace the little people
"Kids are some of Blaze's greatest fans, so it's important for the mascot to take time away from jumping around with the crowd to pose for pictures with kids, give them a high five or a hug."

THE DONT'S
Don't take off the head
Don't hit anyone
Don't talk
Don't tell anyone your name, ever

A Blaze with Pride

Blaze Creator, Woody Hearn, on how the flaming matchstick came to ignite the campus spirit.

I'm a sports nut, so to be at a school like Valdosta State where the student-athletes were fantastic across the board was incredible. I made full use of my student activity fees and attended every event I reasonably could. I called a baseball game for V91 (the student radio station); and I'm not ashamed to admit how many visiting men's basketball teams I made angry with snarky commentary from the seats behind their basket. I toned down my taunting, but only slightly, when I joined the Student Boosters. I didn't want to give them a bad name or anything.

In all the games I attended, I couldn't figure out how the school's mascot had escaped me. I remembered seeing a photo of a Dragon on materials when I first applied to the college, but I hadn't actually seen him in person since. Then one evening at a basketball game — there he was. Escorted by two VSU cheerleaders, this large mass of dull green fabric, topped with a Puff the Magic Dragon-esque head, ambled in slowly from somewhere in the back of the arena. He stood in one spot and waved slowly for a few minutes before being escorted back into oblivion.

I was perplexed. Mascots are supposed to whip the fans into a frenzy. This mascot had done nothing of the sort. I would wager the vast majority of those in attendance didn't even know he had been there. I put it out of my mind for the rest of game, but it came back to me on the way home. I thought about the name Blazers and what that really meant. A dragon didn't come to mind. Sitting at my desk, I went through the basics — blazer, blaze, fire, on fire, torch. I absently sketched a little guy dunking a basketball. His head was ablaze but a pair of black shades balanced him out with some stylized "cool."

The tiny sketch was my rallying point. I started asking classmates about the old mascot: Did they know what it was? Had they ever seen it? During my probing, I learned that the dragon costume inhibited the person inside from seeing, thus the escort, and would get overheated in less than 15 minutes. We needed a mascot that could move amongst the crowd in the South Georgia heat without risking a stroke.

I fleshed the sketch out in my mind. What exactly was he? Did he address existing concerns. How could he easily translate to all sports? Well obviously he was a guy with a flaming head. If he was wearing the same kind of clothes as the athletes he should be reasonably capable of moving about freely in the heat. A lightweight, foam head resembling fire shouldn't impede him too much, especially if there were some ways of cooling the person down. Seeing the mascots for professional teams, I knew the technology was out there. I did some research and found cooling bags, vents, and the like. Armed with the limitations of the existing mascot, student opinion, a decent idea, and research into current mascot technology, I was off to the "let's make a new mascot" races.

Having been in the SGA (student government association), I knew the paths I needed to travel to get the idea heard. The endeavor gained momentum. The student newspaper called me the “Dragon Slayer,” posted several articles about my effort, and polled the student body. By and large the response was positive.

Unfortunately, I never got to see him come into being. I got my degree and moved on. Dean of Students Russell Mast contacted me two years after I graduated to let me know that the university unveiled the new mascot. Then late last year as I was flipping through the most recent edition of the Voice, I saw a picture of a little girl standing with Blaze. I was so proud. He wasn't completely what I had in mind, but I was thrilled none-the-less. After all that work and all those years, there he was a full-fledged, crowd-stirring mascot — and all from one tiny sketch.

Woody Hearn is the creator of GC Comics — a single panel webcomic that explores, and often parodies, the social, political and personal issues related to the gaming industry. Launched in Aug. 2000, the site of this self-employed illustrator/cartoonist features the vibrant comics, gaming forums and a store of GC Comic original panels, prints, and T-shirts.

Check out Hearn's webcomic — published five times each week — at http://gucomics.com/