The two first-place awards are the 2008 College Spirit Camp Leadership Award and the College Spirit Award.
Sharon Harris, assistant director in the Office of Communications & Marketing and coordinator of the mascot program, said that the awards were voted on by the participating mascots and the camp's mascot instructor.
“The UD mascot team spent four days at the UCA Camp, and during this time the team members learn everything needed to know about being a collegiate mascot performer,” Harris said. “The camp ends with the mascot performers participating in a Mascot Follies for all camp students, as well as parents and friends.”
Bart Piegdon, a senior member of the UD mascot team, said that the environment at the camp was warm and friendly, while being informative in all aspects of mascot programming.
“Mornings meant getting into costume, and then we would be graded on our interaction with cheerleaders,” Piegdon said. “We also would make signs and props for the Mascot Follies held at the end of the camp.”
What was nice about the camp, Piegdon said, was the variety of routines performed by the participating mascots at the camp.
“Not every performance routine was the same. There were a lot of new mascot performers there, and was refreshing to see the way they performed,” Piegdon said. “It was a great experience. I'm really proud of our team and the way we performed.”
More than 850 cheerleaders, dancers and school mascots attended the camp in Scranton.
Article by Jerry Rhodes
Photo by Kathy Atkinson