Nicholas Olivera/Staff Writer
A cat may have nine lives but Roary’s got 28.
The FIU mascot will be celebrating his 28 birthday at BBC.
The event is promoted as an “extravaganza” by Panther Power, the official committee for promoting athletics at BBC. Roary’s birthday will feature a talent show open to students of the University, as well as a dessert-making contest sponsored by the Chaplin School of Hospitality and Tourism Management.
Panther Power has expressed their desire for Roary’s birthday to mean more to students than simply an excuse to stand in line for free food.
“Roary is the spirit of this university,” said Rogihanne Avin, a senior majoring in English education and the president of Panther Power. “I get excited when I see Roary because he’s there to bring up the spirits of the students and that’s something we need to recognize with this celebration.”
More than 400 students attended last year’s celebration, but the committee wants to exceed that amount.
“Every year it gets bigger and it’s really our outreach to the students,” said Oscar Ramirez, senior education major and treasurer of Panther Power. “It’s also our way of encouraging students to come out for the homecoming game that same weekend.”
Panther Power is working in junction with FIU Athletics.
The athletics department will be providing the committee with two shuttles to transport students from the Biscayne Bay Campus to the Modesto Maidique Campus for the homecoming game. It will also take students back to BBC after the game has ended.
The first shuttle will depart from BBC at 1:30 p.m. for the FIU parade, which will begin at 3 p.m. and the second shuttle will depart at 3:15 p.m. for the homecoming game, which starts at 6 p.m.
The service will be free for Panthers.
Further information about the shuttle service will be made available at Roary’s birthday celebration.
According to Ramirez, Panther Power is dedicated to getting students more involved with the University’s homecoming activities.
“Our organization wants students to feel proud about going to FIU. Roary’s birthday is a celebration of our mascot as well as a celebration of the FIU community,” he said. “This isn’t high school, where you were possibly forced to go to a specific school. You chose your university. You should take pride in that choice.”
Panther Power thinks that an event like Roary’s birthday should bring out the proud FIU students of this university, which some students believe there should be more of.
“I feel other University students are more proud of their mascots than we are of Roary, which is a shame,” said Aisha Akter, a junior pre-med student. “Some students sound like they were forced to come to this school, but I wanted to come to FIU.”
The committee emphasized the need for students to participate in the event’s festivities, specifically the talent exhibition and the dessert-making competition.
Roary’s Birthday Extravaganza will be held at BBC’s Panther Square on Thursday, October 22 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
-news@fiusm.com
Photo Courtesy of Creative Commons
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