When Michael Squires says the Mountaineer spirit runs high in his family, its an understatement.
My father graduated from West Virginia University,he said,and my mother received her masters here. My sister, grandfather, cousin, aunt and uncle all graduated from WVU as well.
That Mountaineer spirit will no doubt be on display when the Clarksburg native dons the buckskins as the 2008-09 Mountaineer mascot.
Asked what will make him a great mascot, he said,It would probably be my loyalty and integrity.
Squires, a sophomore speech pathology and audiology major, is a graduate of Robert C. Byrd High School, where he was president and salutatorian of his senior class. A member of the Mountaineer Maniacs WVU s student fan organizationfor the past two years, he has been following WVU athletics since he was a kid.
As my sister went through college here at WVU , my family and I used to come to football and basketball games,he said.The thing I remember most about being a young fan was watching the Mountaineer mascot.
Looking back, I realize how influential a figure like the mascot can be in a childs life,Squires said.Not only does the Mountaineer serve as an ambassador for WVU , a representative for our state and a mascot and cheerleader for our teams, he or she also serves as an all-around role model for young people.
As the Mountaineer, Squires looks forward to carrying on the many traditions of WVU , making sure that the Mountain State and its people are portrayed accurately and promoting positive fan behavior.
The Mountaineer mascot represents the deep heritage and traditions that we as West Virginians learned from our parents and grandparents,Squires said.He or she represents the camaraderie and the feelings that we share as WVU students and alumni about our beloved alma mater.
Besides the Maniacs, Squires is involved with the Phi Sigma Theta and Alpha Lambda Delta national honor societies and National Society of Collegiate Scholars. He has been a tutor at WVU and volunteered at Norwood Elementary School in Clarksburg. He has also served as a counselor at Deaf Youth Camp of West Virginia and participated in Relay for Life and a mission trip to Wheeling to rebuild flood victimshomes.
Other community activities include singing in the choir, volunteering as a youth mentor and serving as a youth confirmation class teacher at the First United Methodist Church of Clarksburg. Squires has also appeared in community theater.
Honors include the National Deans List and WVU deans and presidents lists.
Fifteen WVU students originally applied for mascot. A selection committeeconsisting of students, faculty and staffnarrowed the list to four finalists based on applications, essays and interviews.
The students then took part in a cheer-off competition, and Squires was named the mascot at Mondays (March 3) WVU -University of Pittsburgh mens basketball game.
He officially begins his mascot duties at the April 19 Gold-Blue Game at Milan Puskar Stadium.