The Girl Behind The Mask

By: Taylor Ward

Oct. 2, 2014

 

You pass her walking to the cafe, you see her in the halls of Derthick, but do you really know who she is?  I am talking about Sue Ellen Harrod, a freshman here at Milligan College. I know we are only half way through the first semester and you are still trying to get to know all the new faces. Trust me, Sue Ellen is a person you will get to know whether you realize it or not. Many may not know this, but there are other places you see Sue Ellen: on athletic shirts, on the streetlights, at special events, and at the basketball games. That’s right, she is our new scholarship mascot Brutus the Buffalo.

 

Rhonda Paulson explained, “Our new marketing motto is to ‘Be a Buff’. And everywhere you look it’s Buffalo, Buffalo, Buffalo, and we didn’t have a Buffalo.” Though Milligan has had volunteers in the past, Paulson said the position is hard to commit to, and Milligan needed a special person to make that commitment. Rhonda took the $8,000 scholarship and began her quest to find Brutus the Buffalo.

 

After a sad outcome, Paulson reached out to some friends who teach at Providence Academy in Johnson City, Tennessee, to help her find a mascot. Providence had ten students who planned on attending Milligan College this fall. Sue Ellen Harrod was one of them. Sue Ellen said that at first, she did not want to be the Buffalo; she just wanted to attend Milligan. Then Rhonda began contacting her teacher at Providence and she recommended Sue Ellen for the job.

 

“I need someone dependable, I need someone athletic, I need someone who is going to do good academically- it wasn’t going to do me any favors to get someone who wasn’t going make it. Sue Ellen has an excellent track record,” Rhonda Paulson said. “I needed someone who is going to do well socially at Milligan and Sue Ellen is the epitome of a Milligan student.”

 

As the official mascot of Milligan College, Sue Ellen has already participated in several different activities and events. For example, this summer she attended mascot camp at the University of Tennessee where she learned a few things from the most well known mascot in Tennessee, Smokey!

 

Also, Brutus has made an appearance and several local road races such as Race for Wendell and the Tweetsie Trail Road Race. “I have been able to go out and be with kids and that always was a lot of fun having them like run up and hug me,” said Sue Ellen. “Either that, or they’re terrified.”

 

Sue Ellen’s busiest season will be during basketball season. Brutus will make an appearance at every men and women’s home games. She will be participating in a lot of crowd involvement and routines with the cheer and dance team.

 

Sue Ellen Harrod is not just another student here on campus: she is the face of Milligan College and the spirit leader for our community. Rhonda Paulson said, “Sue Ellen has a really cool personality and I think that’s going to come out as the Buffalo.” Make sure to come out to a few basketball games and help Brutus (Sue Ellen) cheer on our Milligan College Buffaloes!