The Big Green Backers, the coordinators of a search for a College mascot to accompany the Big Green nickname, unveiled their suggestion -- the Moose -- at Friday night's men's basketball game against the University of Pennsylvania at Leede Arena.
Dressed in a green Dartmouth tank-top emblazoned with the number one and wearing a pair of white athletic shorts, the Moose also returned for Saturday night's contest against Princeton University.
Hank Brier '98, a member of the Big Green Backers, said the moose is not an official mascot, but that the group "is just throwing it out there and if people like it they can support it and we'll go from there." He added that if students do not like the idea of a moose, the group will examine other options.
Brier said the moose was "by far and away the highest vote-getter" in a recent survey of students. He said the moose also best fit the traditions of the College, while at the same time causing the least amount of controversy.
The Big Green Backers just wanted to get a tangible example of a mascot in front of the people "to get them thinking," according to Brier.
Although the Big Green lost both contests -- 72-69 to Penn and 60-53 to Princeton -- the proposed mascot still did its best to energize the basketball fans in attendance.
The Moose tantalized the crowd for the first half of Friday's game with his brief appearances before slipping to the back of the stands and eventually exiting the gymnasium.
He resurfaced during the latter minutes of the game -- playing the drums, attempting to conduct the band, dancing to the music, leading cheers in support of the Big Green and putting his hand to his big ears to urge the crowd to be more vociferous.
As he cavorted at the game, the moose's big ears brushed against members of the crowd, and one Safety and Security officer wiggled the Moose's ear in return.
The Moose, like a politician, walked up and down the aisles shaking hands and posing for photos. After the game, he signed shirts and passed out candy to youngsters, with whom he is already a big hit.
A group of 15 11-year-olds from the Ray School in Hanover screamed in unison that the Moose was "awesome" and "cool."
"The Moose is what the crowd needs," Shirin Sioshansi '00 said. "We need somebody who gets all rowdy ... we're a bit reserved."
While Dave Mulliken '00 said he would still like to see the return of the Indian -- dropped by the College as its official mascot in the 1970s -- he offered, "If the Indian doesn't come back, maybe I'll give the Moose some consideration."
Even Dartmouth alumni seemed receptive to the potential change. Dick Gruen '34 said the Moose was "marvelous."
However, others, including Leda Eizenberg '00, were not impressed by the Moose's arrival.
Eizenberg said she was not attached to the Moose and that his presence "has not in any way affected my experience."
The Moose, though, said he felt his reception was positive.
"It will definitely take some getting used to," the Moose said. "It's not every day that you see a 6-foot, 6-inch Moose walking around."
The Moose said he was a Dartmouth student, but was "an entity more than an individual."
In addition to his two visits to the basketball games, the Moose said he would be "visiting people on campus during the rest of the term during their office hours and introducing" himself.
He added that he would be making appearances again next year.
