As stated on his shirt, Marty embodies the sense of pride found within the community.

Mascot mastery: Students entertain, perform as Marty the Mustang

Lauren Miranda, Editor-in-Chief • November 10, 2023

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Marty interacts with the DGS varsity dance team during home football games. (Lauren Miranda)

Looking out through the mesh-covered eye holes, the student animating the DGS mascot maneuvers through the crowd. Greeted with high fives, hugs and pictures, community members young and old interact with the costumed entertainer. Many are attracted to the antics of the mascot, but the real intrigue lies in the performer’s journey and experiences inside the costume.

Mascots are a key component of bringing communities together and eliciting spirit. Ranging from pro leagues to high schools, every form of community has a mascot to proudly represent and unite them.

For DGS-it’s Marty the Mustang; he appears at all major school events including spirit assemblies and home football games. Marty the Mustang has been a spirited staple for almost 10 years and has successfully supported the community during ever-changing times.

Students put on the mascot suit in the student activities office before every event. (Lauren Miranda)

Math teacher Matthew Quatman oversees the selection and supports the acclimation of each Marty.

“At the beginning of the school year we have students sign-up at the activities and clubs fair during lunch periods in the student commons. There we get 20 to 30 new names and then we have meetings to discuss what we do as a mascot, how we act, behave and the list goes on. From there, students get the opportunity to try on the costume and see if this is what they want to do,” Quatman said.

After the initial meeting, prospective Martys are invited to wear the suit and walk through the student commons.

“It takes a few minutes to get used to walking around in the whole Marty outfit. After students try out the costume, I ask them to sign up for a Friday morning to walk around as Marty. This 15 minute walk lets the student know if this is really something they want to do and would like to take on a football game, basketball game or social event,” Quatman said.

Passi attends the freshman orientation event Mad Dash as Marty the Mustang.

Senior Mia Passi performed as Marty the Mustang during the 2022-23 school year. Fellow students inspired her to take on the role.

“It honestly started out as a joke. I mentioned it to my friends and they thought I would make a good Marty, so I went to the meeting. My thought process was that Marty wasn’t really recognized by the student body, and I wanted to make him more encouraging and noticeable,” Passi said.

Since becoming the mascot, Passi has portrayed Marty during football games, Mad Dash and the annual Athletes Committed to Excellence Leadership Day.

“My favorite part about being the school mascot is the excitement that I radiate and engaging with the students and other people at events. It spreads more positivity than you think which I love,” Passi said.

Passi attends the freshman orientation event Mad Dash as Marty the Mustang. (Mia Passi)

Makenas attends the annual homecoming parade to generate excitement within the community.

Senior Emily Makenas personified Marty during her sophomore and junior year. She performed at many home football games both years and was Marty during the 2022-23 homecoming parade.

“I decided to be a mascot because Mr. Peterson said I would be the perfect fit. He reached out at a tennis match, and I ended up being Marty the following Friday. I immediately jumped in and loved being Marty; I was so excited to see people without them knowing it was me in the suit,” Makenas said.

Makenas attends the annual homecoming parade to generate excitement within the community. (Lauren Miranda)

Marty the Mustang hypes up the crowd during a spirit assembly. (Lauren Miranda)

To elicit excitement from the crowd at football games, Makenas interacts with the other spirit squads.

“I love when a dancer gives me pom poms, and I try dancing and cheering even though it’s a lot harder with the suit on,” Makenas said.

Junior and dance team member Ava Tommasone enjoys collaborating with Marty during football games to entertain the crowd.

“I love when Marty is at the games. He is super fun to interact with, and he does a great job of getting students excited and involved in the game. Although he can’t talk, he is really expressive and will sometimes join in during our sideline dances which is always fun,” Tommasone said.

Senior and student section leader Aaron Davis often relies on Marty the Mustang to help him engage the students at games.

“He helps us with the cheers we do in the fan section and students like to see him because he’s always dressed up in gear that represents the game theme. We do this cheer called ‘rollercoaster’ where the fans move their body side to side to represent a rollercoaster ride, and he will sometimes help me lead that. Marty also does a good job of hyping students up if the energy gets low,” Davis said.

Makenas waves at the crowd as a form of communication during the 2022-23 homecoming parade.

Being Marty, however, comes with its challenges, specifically finding ways to communicate without speaking. Mascots refrain from talking in order to keep their character intact.

“What’s very difficult for me as the mascot is not talking. There are so many incidents as a mascot that you run into where you wish you could just speak up for and the students and older kids take advantage of that fact that you can’t talk,” Passi said.

Makenas relies on simple gestures to communicate with the community.

“When people ask me questions while I’m in the suit I can only nod my head or give a thumbs up or down for my responses,” Makenas said.

Makenas waves at the crowd as a form of communication during the 2022-23 homecoming parade. (Lauren Miranda)

The DGS and DGN mascot connect during the annual crosstown football game. (Jennifer Martinez )

The presence of a mascot signifies the importance of an event and intensifies excitement.

“When a mascot is at an event, any event, it makes the event seem like a bigger deal and important. We want everyone to know that when Marty is around that event is a big deal and they are a huge part of it. Marty represents the love DGS has for the community and how we appreciate all the support the community gives us,” Quatman said.

For many, the experience of bringing Marty the Mustang to life will remain a mystery. Only a select few know what it truly takes to step into the mascot’s iconic suit in hopes of upholding a long-lasting legacy, and that is a big suit to fill.

About the Contributor

Lauren Miranda, Editor-in-Chief

Senior Lauren Miranda is an Editor-in-Chief on the Blueprint staff. In addition to journalism, Miranda is the captain of the DGS varsity dance team and dances in a company outside of school. She is an English tutor at DGS and a member of National Honor Society, Spanish National Honor Society, Athletes Committed to Excellence and the PE Leading program. Miranda’s interest in journalism sparked when she took Journalistic Expression sophomore year. She has since won multiple NISPA, IJEA and Best of Sno awards for her work and aims to further her drive for journalistic inquiry this upcoming year. When Miranda isn’t writing, she enjoys traveling, volunteering and spending time with those close to her. She is looking forward to writing for the DGS Blueprint and hopes to engage readers as well as magnify the voices of her peers.