Golden Eagle Legacy

In the peak of her junior year, notes piled on her then I got to be a bird.” phone of places she needed to be: workouts Special education major Page began her mascot in the early morning, class from 8 a.m.-10:50 a.m., career in high school when she took a break from change into uniform and work an event from 11 a.m.-1 basketball during her sophomore year. She found p.m., change out of uniform and back to class from herself not playing basketball as much as she want1:30 p.m.-4:20 p.m., then study groups and dance ed, being placed on the junior varsity team for the practices until she drops. For the Tech mascot, it second year in a row. She thought being the mascot was work. For the girl behind it all, Karly Page, it was a joke at first, but Page turned it into a serious was everything. thing in her hometown. She left behind a legacy that

The pressure of being the Tech mascot forced will hopefully outlive herself. Page to push herself like never before. She described In 2016, Page attended a high school cheer and herself as a person who sticks to her promises and mascot camp at Tech, where the Cheer and Dance never makes coach offered her excuses. Page also confessed that she attended sporting and campus events with bronchitis and “ A whole university and there a spot on the Tech team. By February of 2017, she had her signing day and was officially the new Awesome Eagle the stomach virus in fear of letting is one person representing it. mascot. The mascot is someone down. The weight came That one person is me. a tradition here at Tech that began from something in 1962. The first President Oldham said during a Homecoming parade, how she was the face of ” mascot was Golden Eagle and in 1985, Awesome Eagle took over as the mascot for Tech, Tech. Page furthered this point by saying, “a whole attending campus events and competing at the Nauniversity and there is one person representing it. tional Cheerleading Association competitions. The That one person is me.” identity of Awesome Eagle is a treasured secret, only

Through all of the homework, quick costume told once the student had retired the mantle. changes, and balancing her work, school, and social Page’s first year at Tech included finding her life, Page made the mascot an unforgettable expe- classes and starting her training as Awesome Eagle. rience. She described chasing down Clyde the bus She learned how to walk like Awesome, saying, “we driver to get a ride, messing with her friends when in all stood in a circle and started walking around the costume who did not know her secret, going to pag- Fit. It was really, really awkward.” Page was then eants for people with disabilities while dressed up taught to do the classic ‘Wings Up’ pose, the poses as Awesome, and going on impromptu visits to the for photos, and the stand, all to channel her inner dorm rooms to surprise the freshmen. Page closed mascot. She further explained that learning to be the with, “I still got the whole college experience, but mascot is simple: you either know it or you don’t. 14 | Eagle Eye

Design and Layout by SHELBY CAMPBELL Photos by KARLY PAGE and EAGLE YEARBOOK

Page went on to work as Awesome Eagle through her junior year, working 2-4 events per week, including football and basketball games. This equaled out to roughly 15 hours per week, plus extracurriculars and her 18-hour class schedule.

During her freshman and sophomore year, Page enjoyed life as the mascot. When asked why she decided to take on this responsibility, Page simply replied, “I’m a loud person. I have too much energy.” Karly confessed that during her freshman and sophomore year, she let class and schoolwork take the backseat.

Eventually, the schoolwork caught up to her, and she had to reevaluate, saying, “Then I hit junior year, and our teachers were like, ‘here’s homework, here’s some more, oh a pop quiz, a test,’ I kind of let myself put school first.” During her junior year, Page was the only mascot for Tech, meaning it was up to her to attend all the events and sporting events for that year. Page’s drive to succeed allowed her to manage her busiest year of classes and continue to perform as Awesome Eagle, all without complaints.

This year is Page’s first year in the retirement of Awesome Eagle, and she is finding some normalcy during her final year at Tech. Reality is slowing setting in for her as she realizes that she will go through her senior year without the weight of Awesome Eagle on her shoulders. Her ring from the cheerleading championship sits on the dresser, Cheer and Dance shirts are tucked away in the closet, and the new Awesome Eagle is walking around the Fit, learning how to channel their inner mascot.

Karly Page (right) sits with fellow Tech mascot in Awesome Eagle hands out awards at the front of Volpe Library. 2019 Heating up the Quad event.

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