On February 13th, in a tucked away group fitness room on the second floor of the Wellness Center, a group of judges assessed candidates to become the newest Milo the Lynx, CU Denver’s beloved mascot. Tryouts consisted of three stages; an interview, a skit, and a walkthrough. Together, these components estimated a candidate’s ability to represent CU Denver and gave insight into what a tough challenge that is. 

In the interview stage of tryouts, candidates were asked a series of questions, ranging from general questions about why they applied to more position-focused questions, such as if they had any prior mascot experience or how they would showcase Milo’s personality. During this phase of the tryout, it became apparent how difficult not only being Milo the mascot is (the suit can become extremely warm) but how difficult it is to represent an entire school. One question that seemed especially important was “what does school spirit mean to you?” It’s not hard to see why this was such an important question during the judging process, as well as during subsequent stages of tryouts. Milo is the face of CU Denver, frequently appearing around campus, during school events, and plastered across the school’s marketing. When candidates audition to be Milo, they’re auditioning to represent an entire institution and its student body.  

The second stage of tryouts had candidates prepare a skit. There were no parameters for the skit, but judges seemed to note energy, physicality, and the ability to embody Milo’s magnetism. This section of tryouts focused on candidates being the center of attention, practicing the unnerving task of having potentially hundreds of people watching you. The skits were also used to gauge how confident a candidate was while performing. Delivering a confident and believable performance is a massive part of being Milo, having to remain confident and engaged for hours on end.

The third and final stage of tryouts was the walkthrough. For this stage, candidates suited up as Milo and got to practice walking around the wellness center, interacting with workers and actually getting to be Milo. This part of tryouts saw candidates face the heat of the Milo suit, in addition to having to consistently stay in character. A judge noted how warm the suit could get, emphasizing that it was comparable to a sauna. Candidates later would discuss that they were surprised it really was that warm in the suit. Alongside the heat, candidates had to keep the Milo persona, unable to falter for a moment. Something that was fascinating to see is that whenever a candidate put on the Milo suit, they would become completely immersed as Milo, becoming a bundle of vibrancy that disregarded the heat or the pressure of staying in character. When candidates were finally in costume, they made it seem easy to concretize Milo’s persona. It really revealed how infectious becoming Milo is, and the sheer joy that comes with getting to perform the role. 

Milo tryouts give us a glimpse into the difficulty of representing CU Denver, but also how rewarding it can be. When candidates gave their energy to Milo, they saw it return to them. Onlookers looked happily at Milo as staff excitedly greeted him with high fives and “Hi Milo!” Milo is the symbol of CU Denver but beyond that he is a marker of community amongst the school and its students. Tryouts were a fascinating and wonderful reminder of how important community among a school is, and the way students are given the opportunity to embody that as Milo the Lynx.