“NAME OUR LION” VOTING GOOGLE FORM: http://bit.ly/2eO6EZO

Farmingdale High School’s furry friend, “ the Lion” has been very glum lately. This is due to the matter that the mascot has no name. For years the loving, cheerful creature has gone without a name, leaving him with no choice but to respond to the name “Lion.” This makes it very difficult for the lion to fill out his name on his worksheets, his college and work applications, and even making his own voicemail is near impossible. Why is there no name you ask? “When I arrived in the year of 1984, there was no mascot,” says Mrs.Celentano, the Varsity Cheerleading coach. Why was there no mascot? No student here at FHS wanted to volunteer to wear the suit; the heat and sweat was just too much. However, in 1991, FHS was able to get one person per week to mascot. So, since no one was really taking ownership of the mascot, our poor lion was never named.

I, Alayna Camisa, am the mascot of Farmingdale High School and am also very upset that my alter ego has no name. People call me Lion. But, I feel that is like calling me Woman. No one should be marginalized like this, not me, and not my alter ego.

I joined the mascotting career in 9th grade. What inspired me to become the mascot of Farmingdale High School was my spirit and enthusiasm that I have gained from my past years being in the district. When I went to my first football game in 9th grade, I was with my friends and I spotted the mascot. I was thinking about what it would look like from the lion’s perspective… after that moment I knew I had to do it myself if I really wanted to know. I had to “hunt down” and approach the Varsity Cheerleading Coach, Mrs. Celentano, to ask her permission. My hunt was successful because I found her on the field at Allen Park. I then won the job; I was told by Mr. Zakian my first game would be homecoming. When Mr. Zakian told me the news, my stomach dropped. I learned all the moves in a week. It was like I was a natural born mascot. Through mascotting I have learned how to take on responsibilities, push myself to new limits, make new friends, create ideas, and learn what it is like to be in the mascot suit. I plan to mascot throughout my high school career.

This year I plan to take a step further into mascotting and go all out. I want new props. I want surprises for the fans. I want to display more spirit than I have ever displayed. But most of all…

I want a name.