By Jeff Intoccia '02
There was a new big man on campus this fall, and he caused quite a stir. In his Cue-P (freshmen directory) biography he claimed to have super strength, enjoyed wrestling lions, and devoured foods ranging from Lebanon bologna to fasnachts and shoofly pie. Oh, he also noted that he is seven feet tall, wears size-25 winged clogs, and is planning to bankrupt the cafeteria's “all-you-can-eat” policy.
Any guesses? Yes, LVC's official mascot, the Flying Dutchman, is back! He has been seen entertaining fans, old and young alike, throughout campus. The new costume was created by Street Characters of Calgary, Canada, which has created mascot costumes for the Philadelphia Eagles, Pittsburgh Pirates, New York Islanders, U.S. Air Force Academy, and many more. LVC's mascot sports flowing yellow hair, winged shoes, and the year 2008 emblazoned on his belt buckle.
His resurrection is all due to the tireless and enterprising Class of 2008. The 400 students raised a record-setting $31,310 for their class gift, part of which was used to purchase the costume. Charlie Hopta '08, class treasurer, came up with the idea and worked with a team of seven classmates to make his dream a reality.
Previous versions of the Flying Dutchman have existed, but none has been seen in 14 years—not since the mascot was kidnapped. “Kim Killian was performing as the Dutchman,” said Mike Rhoades '95, the former star point guard on the LVC 1994 Division III National Championship team. “She left the costume outside her room in the hallway of her dorm over Spring Arts weekend—probably not a good idea.”
“I think a mascot is a very important part of school spirit,” noted Tommy Long '02, a former two-sport standout in baseball and football at LVC. “The mascot plays a major role at many athletic events and other school activities.
“As a former athlete, I was not able to fully appreciate the role of the mascot at events,” added Long. “However, as an athletic director [at Ephrata Area High School] I am able to see firsthand how a great mascot can impact fans at a sporting event.”
The Flying Dutchman has not always been perfectly behaved, though. “I last saw the mascot at the March 1994 NCAA Division III National Basketball Championship game at Buffalo State between us and NYU,” said Dr. Philip Billings, LVC professor of English. “In fact, the last thing I remember was looking across the court during a time-out or at half-time and seeing our Dutchman mascot chasing their smaller Violet mascot up an aisle and sort of tackling it into the first of a row of empty seats near the top. It was all supposed to be in fun, of course, but I heard later that the Violet had been slightly injured on the play.”
The riddle of the missing mascot may never be solved. Stories of sightings range from Mardi Gras in Louisiana to spring break in Florida. Nonetheless, his reappearance, coupled with one of the most successful athletic fall seasons in the history of the College, has created a positive buzz on campus and brought smiles to many faces.
“The new Dutchman mascot will help promote LVC Athletics,” acknowledged LVC Athletic Director Rick Beard '90, M'92. “We plan to use the mascot at our home games, for community service projects, alumni events, and elsewhere. It already has helped to restore a sense of tradition and school spirit.”
