6:00 p.m., May 31, 2003--For several members of the University of Delaware mascot program, life as the big blue-and-gold bird known as YoUDee is about to come to an end with graduation May 31.

“I’m going to miss that bird so much,” says Kristen Lindner of Cold Spring, N.Y., who, along with fellow senior mascot Brandon “Summy” Williams of Newark and mascot shadow Ashley Robey of Carlisle, Pa., are members of the Class of 2003. “I’ll miss my YoUDee teammates. It’s been a great four years.”

YoUDee mascot team members: (front, from left) Veteran Christopher Bruce, BE ‘02; Frank Ventresca, BE 2004; Kristen Lindner, AS 2003; Brandon “Summy” Williams, AS 2003; and (back, from left) shadow team member Ashley Robey, AS 2003; Patrick McNamara, AS 2004; Lisa Marie Calabrese, AS 2004; Brian McLean, AG 2004; and Adam Twersky, BE 2003.

It certainly has been that for the mascot program, as the team has won a Universal Cheerleading Association national championship and appeared in a popular ESPN television commercial, in addition to the regular duties of boosting UD spirit at events both on and off campus.

For Lindner, becoming a member of the YoUDee team was the result of a fortuitous detour.

“My senior year of high school, I was passing through Newark headed to Maryland to check out colleges. We were driving down Main Street when we stopped at a light behind the YoUDee van,” she recalls. “YoUDee popped out and waved to the cars. I asked my dad to stop at the Visitors Center to get more information about the school, and told him I was going to be the Blue Hen one day.”

Once she returned home, Lindner wrote YoUDee mascot coach Sharon Harris. “I sent about a billion e-mails begging her to let me try out, even before I got accepted by the University. When I received my acceptance I sent even more letters. Finally, I tried out freshman year, and I’ve been doing this ever since,” she says.

Students interested in becoming members of the mascot team must audition. As well, they must be at least 5-feet 9-inches tall to fit properly in the suit.

Lindner says that during her first tryout session, she came “dressed all in blue and gold, with pigtails, trying to look as school-spirited as possible.” She did the hula as her routine and danced to Lou Vega’s then-hit song, “Mambo No. 5.”

At the callback session, in which students don the YoUDee costume, she says she “was as goofy as could be.”

“I danced my heart out,” Lindner says, “and when I was told I was done, I refused to leave the stage, by continually leaving and then re-entering in search of more applause.”

As a member of UD’s mascot team, Lindner says her favorite times of year are the major sports season. “I love football and basketball,” she says. “Being in the suit and on the sidelines is terrific. The pure thrill of exciting so many people is awesome.”

She also says she has enjoyed the national championship competition, held annually in Orlando, Fla. She enjoys the travel, the team bonding and the friendships formed with students in mascot programs at other universities. “I have made some great mascoting friends and connections,” she says.

Lindner says mascoting has meant being a part of a huge spirit and tradition experience for new and existing students at the University of Delaware, their parents, alumni and Blue Hen fans. “As part of the mascot program, I have gone to so many places, met so many people and learned so much about the community around me and about the school itself. I value every second and experience I've had,” she says.

Her participation has meant a great deal of personal growth, both as a student and as a person, she says. “As a student, it makes you more aware of your school environment and it made me get involved in a lot of organizations and activities I normally wouldn’t have known about or thought about,” she says. “As a person, it’s made me more confident and I think a little more level-headed. Being in the suit is my release and makes me feel a little more valuable.”

Lindner encourages students who might be interested in the mascot program to consider trying out. “ The group that emerges from tryouts is such a blast,” she says. “I have loved my teammates and will miss them terribly. The mascot program is more than just fun; it becomes a part of you. You are the mascot and have the power of waking up and thrilling so many people. Just one funny motion in the suit can create so much laughter. That’s enough to encourage anyone to keep going.”

And, to anyone who does decide to join the program, Lindner suggests finding a strong deodorant. That 30-pound suit “can make you sweat!” she says.

For any YoUDee fans who want to keep up with the graduating seniors, Williams will be working as the mascot Ferrous for the Aberdeen IronBirds, a minor league baseball team that plays in newly built Ripken Stadium just over one-half hour south of Newark on I-95. Both Lindner and Robey are joining him on the team staff.

Article by Neil Thomas
Photo by Kathy F. Atkinson