On Friday, August 25th on the football field, West High was introduced to what was believed to be our new mascot: Westin the Warthog. However, the school administration soon cleared up in an online post that Westin is merely a hypeman for our school and we will always be the West High Warriors. Still, the initial not-so-pleasant reaction and new clarification got me thinking: What is the general feeling of West High’s students when it comes to the new Warthog now? 

   For Livia Brindicci (9), to whom football is a new experience as a freshman, “knowing that [Westin] is there definitely makes it more exciting to go,” she responded. This is interesting, because now knowing that Westin is indeed a hypeman, he seems to be surviving his purpose at the games and bringing in more excitement that perhaps would not be there had he not been there. For Brindicci, Westin seems to be a definite improvement for the school, which must be refreshing for someone who is just starting her journey as a West High student. But what about the people who have been here for longer? Does grade play a discerning factor in what people think about the hype man? 

Is a warthog really the kind of animal students want to be associated with? Sasha Rogala (12) thought that when it comes to football, being a warthog is a positive thing. “I think in the wild they might be kind of aggressive so, I suppose that would work for the football team,” she stated. She went on to say that the outfit itself was “kind of cute”, being exactly what the school would like for our warthog friend. Once the interview was over, it was apparent that Rogala’s interview paralleled Brindicci’s, both being positive and proving that grade doesn’t affect the view of the hypeman. Both appreciate that he is there, even if only to be entertaining. Though is that really all he was made for?

   Westin’s purpose as both an exciting hypeman and aggressive warthog work well when it comes to the regular student body. However, what about the people he is there to support?  Is Westin valuable to the football team or is he just the pig no one asked for? According to football player Nicholas Win (11) who is on the field with Westin all the time, “he’s very helpful” and “we can always count on looking to the side where he’s with the student section…showing us why we’re trying to win this game.” Knowing that Westin is bringing something to the field that wasn’t there before makes his entire being understandable. He brings joy, not only to the student section but to the team as well. Westin truly is a part of West High now. As explained by Win, Westin “represents West’s ideals very well, because West is all about positive energy and good times and Westin the hype man really shows that and brings it to us.” Knowing that Westin truly is just a fellow warrior helping out our football team is all we could really ask for, right?

   West High student body seems to be very accepting of this new change in excitement. Though there may still be people out there who truly dislike Westin, satisfaction can come from hearing positive feedback about the energetic warthog. It’s heartening to know that he will most likely stay right where he is– drawing people to the hyped-up student section is his costume to cheer on our team.