The Northern Kentucky University Cheerleaders will postpone the deadline to reserve spots to tryout for position of the university’s mascot Victor E. Viking to April 22 from it’s original deadline of April 21, Chris Hafling, a marketing and promotions representative for NKU athletic department, announced to The Northerner April 20.
The mascot position, which is part of the Norse cheer team, has been held by NKU alum Jeremy Moore for the past four years.
Moore, who graduated in 2007, admits that he has been a ‘lingering’ NKU student for the past two years, enrolling in two classes per semester so that he would be eligible for the mascot position, an opportunity he considers to be his legacy at NKU.
‘Not everyone can say that they were their university’s mascot, but I will be able to one day look back and say ‘I was the Norse’ when I was at NKU,’ he said. ‘That’s why I chose to tryout for the position – I wanted to do something I could be remembered for.’
Moore, who will be leaving the Victor E. Viking suit vacant as he leaves to pursue graduate studies at Xavier University, cautioned that while being the university mascot provided such benefits as going to all of the basketball games and traveling ‘basically everywhere’ with the cheerleaders and athletic teams, the role wasn’t all fun and games.
‘A lot of people think it’s easy; they don’t realize how much work being Victor is,’ he said. ‘It’s a lot of time in the hot suit, with kids crawling all over you and all eyes are on you.
You constantly have to be doing something at all times or people will lose interest and everyone depends on you to pump the crowd up at all times.’
Moore said that though he will not have an official say in his successor, he plans to be present at the tryouts, which will consist of the performance of a prepared skit and a private interview.
‘The interview is an important part of the process because we want a person who is going to represent the university in a positive manner, just as is expected from each of our other student athletes,’ he said.’
Hafling added that NKU Cheerleading Head Coach Daren Harris will be available to work with any student interested in trying out for the position in the preparation of a skit.
In addition to the benefits mentioned by Moore, the student chosen to take over the role of Victor E. Viking will also enjoy the benefits of super priority registration and a tuition scholarship.
While Hafling was unable to discuss the exact terms of the scholarship, he said the upcoming academic year will be the first in which the mascot position will receive a tuition scholarship. He added that though it will not be a full tuition scholarship, it will cover the bulk of student’s tuition costs.
‘The scholarship will be a pretty significant amount,’ he said. ‘It would definitely pay for a good amount of in-state tuition.’
Tryouts are currently scheduled for April 25 at 1 p.m. at Cincinnati Elite in Park Hills, Ky., but may also be postponed due to a limited amount of interested parties, Hafling said.
‘