There is a big birthday coming up. No, it’s not mine (I turn 21 next week). But Oct. 18 is the birthday of our own Bengal tiger mascot, Mike V. He will be 14 years old.
As campus organizations gear up for what will no doubt be a big party for the endangered cat, I can’t help but remember the news about Mike two years ago, around his 12th birthday.
It was then that the “I like Mike” campaign was unveiled as a fund-raising effort to build the tiger a much nicer new home. I remember the buttons, the flyers and the tiger-striped trucks that all begged for donations to the new habitat.
Yet the giant billboard near Mike’s cage on North Stadium Road sits as a dusty and overlooked reminder of the tigerís plight. There is no new habitat, the money has not been raised and the enthusiasm about getting our mascot a new home seems to have disappeared.
The Tiger Athletic Foundation – the main fund-raising arm for the LSU Athletic Department – and other campus organizations have raised about $1.5 million, but they still need about $1 million more to fund the renovation.
But the TAF fund raisers have had their hands full in the past two years, raising money for the main jewel in the TAF crown – the Cox Communications Academic Center for Student Athletes. The $15-million center was conceived, designed, funded and built in a bit more than two years. But raising money for Mike took a backseat during that time. Now the completely renovated old Gym Armory stands as the pride and joy of the Athletic Department. Meanwhile Mike still paces back and forth in a cage that is far too small.
It is true that the academic center more directly benefits students than a renovated tiger cage. But even if TAF raised the rest of the money tomorrow, it would still be a while before Mike had a new pad. It is time someone stepped up to put Mike where he needs to be – even if that means somewhere off campus.
Though Mike gets outstanding care from experienced veterinarians, his cage does not reflect his role in the LSU community. His image is plastered all over merchandise, Web sites and other paraphernalia that represent LSU. His presence on campus is supposed to represent the University’s spirit. But so far, the people with the money and power to change things have not made the “face of LSU” a top priority.
The “I like Mike” campaign was started and billed as a grassroots campaign of students and student organizations. While it is admirable that students should take ownership of the campaign, it is not our money that will finally build the cage. About two-thirds of the money TAF has already raised is from two “big” donors, according to campaign fund raisers. Well-meaning students have donated, but we all know the constraints of being a college student. Many are just not financially able to donate to charitable organizations.
The frustrating part of this situation is the future of live mascots at LSU. If Mike were to become ill or suddenly leave us (God forbid), it would be nearly impossible to get another tiger to live in the tiny quarters. No animal rights group would let another tiger move into that cage, and rightfully so. And the truth is, Mike is getting on in years – a Bengal tiger in captivity only lives an average of 15 to 20 years.
Two years has been too long, and I urge all those involved with the fund raising campaign to push harder. I urge those who spend exorbitant amounts of money on stadium expansions and other perks for Tiger athletes to give some money to the only real tiger on this campus. And I urge students to dust off the “I like Mike” signs and buttons and demand that the best live mascot in the country get treated like it.
Happy (early) birthday, Mike.