THE MEN BEHIND THE MASCOTS

Michelle Becker

@michelle_ib

As the first semester draws to a close, Wapad looks back on the graduation of the North-West University’s (NWU) mascots. More specifically, three graduates who helped create the spirit of Eagi and Pukki: Valmor Meyer, Manoli Meletiou and Ompabaletse Vece.

Valmor Meyer graduated with a BSc in Sport and Recreation Administration as Eagi. First inspired to be Eagi at a Varsity Cup game, Meyer said his favourite part of being Eagi was “being able to brighten up people’s day and putting that smile on their face.”

He shared that the hardest part of being a mascot was keeping it a secret and having to invent excuses for where he was, when he was actually soaring with the NWU spirit. Meyer is currently studying toward his postgraduate diploma in management at the NWU Business School in Potchefstroom.

Manoli Meletiou also graduated as Eagi. He graduated with a BEd in Senior and FET Phase with mathematics for education. Meletiou said the last four years as Eagi were some of the most memorable of his life. “There’s nothing quite like seeing a student’s face light up when Eagi gives them a high five or does a dance. These moments of pure and unadulterated joy were what made being the mascot so special,” Meletiou said.

He further shared that his weirdest experiences were greeting his friends as Eagi and then seeing them again later and having to pretend it never happened. Meletiou is currently studying towards an honours degree in education.

Being the mascot is not without difficulties. Meletiou said the most challenging part for him was attending events in costume during the warmer months of the year. He revealed that “staying hydrated and taking strategic breaks in the shade were key to surviving those high- energy events.”

Ompabaletse Vece reiterated that the costume isn’t comfortable, but one gets used to it. Vece graduated with a BSc in Information Technology as Pukki. He shared that he was first inspired to be Pukki when he encountered the mascots on campus while having a particularly long day. They changed his mood completely.

Although he highlighted his first experience as Pukki as his favourite, Vece shared a moment that he will always remember: “When a student thanked me for always putting a smile on their faces and making sure everyone feels loved and valued regardless of how I was feeling inside.” He said their words have lived with him to this day.

Vece shared that his weirdest experience was when a friend of his was taking a picture with Pukki. The friend stated they wanted to marry the person in the Pukki suit, as they assumed the person was a female. The friend, of course, didn’t know that Vece was Pukki.

Although he wanted to do his honours and continue being Pukki, Vece is currently employed and will be doing his honours online next year.