Golden eagle legacy I
n the peak of her junior year, notes piled on her phone of places she needed to be: workouts in the early morning, class from 8 a.m.-10:50 a.m., change into uniform and work an event from 11 a.m.-1 p.m., change out of uniform and back to class from 1:30 p.m.-4:20 p.m., then study groups and dance practices until she drops. For the Tech mascot, it was work. For the girl behind it all, Karly Page, it was everything. The pressure of being the Tech mascot forced Page to push herself like never before. She described herself as a person who sticks to her promises and never makes excuses. Page also confessed that she attended sporting and campus events with bronchitis and the stomach virus in fear of letting someone down. The weight came from something President Oldham said during a Homecoming parade, how she was the face of Tech. Page furthered this point by saying, “a whole university and there is one person representing it. That one person is me.” Through all of the homework, quick costume changes, and balancing her work, school, and social life, Page made the mascot an unforgettable experience. She described chasing down Clyde the bus driver to get a ride, messing with her friends when in costume who did not know her secret, going to pageants for people with disabilities while dressed up as Awesome, and going on impromptu visits to the dorm rooms to surprise the freshmen. Page closed with, “I still got the whole college experience, but
then I got to be a bird.” Special education major Page began her mascot career in high school when she took a break from basketball during her sophomore year. She found herself not playing basketball as much as she wanted, being placed on the junior varsity team for the second year in a row. She thought being the mascot was a joke at first, but Page turned it into a serious thing in her hometown. She left behind a legacy that will hopefully outlive herself. In 2016, Page attended a high school cheer and mascot camp at Tech, where the Cheer and Dance coach offered her a spot on the Tech team. By February of 2017, she had her signing day and was officially the new Awesome Eagle mascot. The mascot is a tradition here at Tech that began in 1962. The first mascot was Golden Eagle and in 1985, Awesome Eagle took over as the mascot for Tech, attending campus events and competing at the National Cheerleading Association competitions. The identity of Awesome Eagle is a treasured secret, only told once the student had retired the mantle. Page’s first year at Tech included finding her classes and starting her training as Awesome Eagle. She learned how to walk like Awesome, saying, “we all stood in a circle and started walking around the Fit. It was really, really awkward.” Page was then taught to do the classic ‘Wings Up’ pose, the poses for photos, and the stand, all to channel her inner mascot. She further explained that learning to be the mascot is simple: you either know it or you don’t.
“
A whole university and there is one person representing it. That one person is me.
”
14 | Eagle Eye
