Michael Moreno English 4309 October 1, 2013

Behind the Mask

I have never told anyone this but I was a mascot for my high school. As a freshman, I tried out with all the cheerleaders and I was even responsible for creating my own choreographed dance routine and cheer. Another requirement included my participation and attendance at the

Southern Methodist University cheer camp every summer. At cheer camp, I received various awards ranging from “Most Spirited” to “Best Prop Design”, and I was even featured in a promotional video after I won the “Mascot of the Year” award in my senior year. During the filming of that video, I got to meet the founder of the National Cheerleading Association and cheerleading innovator, Lawrence “Herkie” Herkimer. Southern Methodist University offered me a cheerleading scholarship and wrote me a letter of nomination for an employment offer to work for the National Cheerleading Association as a cheerleading instructor after I graduated.

The Director of Entertainment at SeaWorld wrote to me and asked me to audition as a

Costume Character at the San Antonio SeaWorld location. After a series of 45-minute audition dances and skits, I got the job. During the morning and afternoon, I made appearances as Shamu the killer whale, Pete the Penguin, and Seamore the Sea lion. And in the evening and at night, I had my own dancing show along with my fellow costume friends. Also, during summer nights, I even had a show at Shamu stadium on the stage located on the left visitor’s side. SeaWorld utilized my skills and contracted various traveling costumed-clients. Through these business deals, I was able to become some of the most famous characters in popular culture. For example,

I took on the personas of Dora the Explorer, many Sesame Street characters (before they became part of SeaWorld San Antonio), the Backyardigans, Luv the Southwest Airlines mascot, and many more. Moreno Moreno 2 English 4309 October 1, 2013

Behind the Mask

As a costumed character, I moved with large motions and overdramatic expressions.

When I walked into the room, I wanted all eyes on me and I craved to get everyone’s attention in unique ways. Through these large-motioned gestures and overdramatic expressions, I was able to tell my audience a story. However, this type of story telling required me to take a different approach than I would if I were writing on a piece of paper. My form of story telling was alive and in real-time. In a way, I was socially engaged with my readers and I needed to write in the moment through body language and expression. As a mascot for my high school, I was required to attend every home and away varsity football game. I remember the game when we played our local rival team (you may have heard about our rivalry on the news; Google “Whataburger Food

Fight”). While the exact score I cannot recall, I do remember that we were down at least two touchdowns. Our football team was struggling to find their momentum to get a drive going for some touchdowns. I noticed at that moment that the crowd was already defeated and there seemed to be no spirit left. At cheer camp, they made the mascots sign an official oath that states that a mascot will always remain in character in the eyes of the crowd and NEVER utter a word.

So I struggled to hold back the urge to yell through the megaphone to tell this crowd to quit their moping and to give our team some encouragement. Moments like this helped me realize that story can be told without ink and even without words. Around this time of the game, the other team’s cheerleaders and mascot came over to our side to greet our cheerleaders and give a cheer for our team. I took this opportunity to get my story out there. When the other team’s mascot came up to give me a hug, I pulled them close and whispered, “I challenge you to a dance off!” It was story time. I managed to get the band to play my classic go-to song for dance offs, “” by . The other team’s mascot started the battle off with a poorly executed Michael Moreno Moreno 3 English 4309 October 1, 2013

Behind the Mask . I was able to counter this attack with an effective “worm” dance move (Always a crowd pleaser). However, my moves were quickly diminished by three flawless pirouettes with her splitting as a finishing touch. That was going to be a hard one to beat. Looking up at the crowd, I could see the look of another disappointing attempt for success written on their facial expressions. It was time for me to reach the climax of my story. After getting a running start, I slid into the dance floor area and went into a breakdancing back spin that flung my legs around and I held myself up with one arm as I finished with a reverse backspin kick out. I landed on my feet and right in front of the other team’s mascot. My dismount was so clean and quick that I scared the other mascot causing them to follow over on their back. The crowd roared with excitement and this charged our team to pull off a comeback victory in the last 5 minutes of the game. My story was told, and, most importantly, my readers were able to participate in my narrative. My story telling as a mascot became universal. In traditional writing practices, the writer would center the story on the audience and their ability to understand the basic ideas of the story. For example, a writer would use simple vocabulary and basic sentence structure if they were to write for children. My composing of story as a mascot seemed to go beyond a single audience and opened up the opportunity for my readers to be of different demographics. Body language, when used effectively, can have a clear and universal direction when readers are engaging with the story.

Outside of the costume, I observed a distinctive nuance between my story telling. At school, I had to tell stories all the time and through different frameworks. One traditional way was practiced inside the classroom through essays, papers, and journals as well as classroom discussions. Another way, through my role as a mascot, was to tell stories through body Michael Moreno Moreno 4 English 4309 October 1, 2013

Behind the Mask language. Since these two approaches were housed in the school environment, I often noticed an overlap in my story telling. For example, outside of the costume I began talking with my hands or using overdramatic expressions and inside I began forming letters with my body to encourage the crowd to spell out words with me. Continually, I spot these overlaps in my social interactions and writings of everyday life. A mascot does not have a voice to talk or a paper to write the type of story that must be conveyed in spur-of-the-moment. Perhaps the reason I have never told anyone this secret about my life is because as a mascot I cannot talk and I am trained to act it out.

Without a live stage, I can only use my story telling practices to construct my story the best way

I can. However, I am still writing without words.