The school bleachers fill up with rambunctious and boisterous students. Cheerleaders take their positions in front of the awaiting students and finally the performance has started, whether it is a home game or a pep assembly. Out from the corner of a student’s eye, the Panther comes running out pumping the paws of the black full-body costume.

The term mascot originated back in France in the late 1800s and now has made an array of animals and symbols to carry out the original meaning; a person or thing that is supposed to bring good luck or is used to symbolize a particular event or organization. Wenatchee High School took on the stealthy, ominous, black panther as its choice of school spirit.

“The student in the costume must be passing their classes and extra energetic,” ASB Assembly Coordinator Bryce Newberry said when asked about the requirements for being the mascot.

No previous dance lessons are needed, as well as no prior knowledge on how to be a mascot. Fortunately, if a newcomer is at a loss of what do, a veteran Panther has a pretty good idea.

Many people have put on the full-body suit and attachable Panther head throughout the years. A person can give up their position as the mascot if they want or they can continue doing it if they meet requirements.

During the last pep assembly, junior Keyla Sanchez and junior Mitchell Thacker were the Panthers who were pepping up the audience.

“It was cool being in front of the crowd and cheering on from there,” Sanchez said. “I wanted to feel how it felt to be in the suit. I thought it would be fun.”

The opportunity to have a different perspective than the usual bleachers or seats was what drove junior Jaxton Wilson to be the mascot. Being the mascot for the whole football season of 2013 was enough to quench his curiosities.

“People hit you and kick you, all the while it’s 200 degrees in the suit,” Wilson said.

The heat is what both Wilson and Sanchez mentioned as a downside to wearing the suit. It is like exercising in a steam room, Wilson said.

Thankfully, the suit is cleaned every couple of weeks, ASB Bookkeeper Tami Walters said. Using anti-bacterial wipes and taking it home to be thrown in Walter’s washing machine is how the costume stays pristine.

“Every three years or so the costume is replaced or updated,” Walters said.

Three suits are cleaned and ready for the next person to wear one. Having three suits makes it so different students of different heights can keep up the spirit.

When past mascots recall amusing experiences, clumsy is an understatement.

“We got on the cheerleading boxes, and no one was guiding me. I ended up walking right off the box and face-planting it!” Wilson said.

Embarrassing as it was, the cushion in the costume helped with the impact, and soon he was back up and cheering. Despite this hard work, being the mascot was a worthwhile experience for actors, as school spirit means a great deal to the students of WHS.

“It was the most humbling thing in the world,” Wilson said, “and yet no one knows who it is.”