Joe Bruin Rallies Support from Students for Mascot Challenge

Joe Bruin is in the championship round of the Capital One Mascot Challenge, and this is Joe’s opportunity to be recognized as the nation’s best mascot. Joe, always a supporter of UCLA Sports, is using selfies and social media in hopes of winning the 2014 Capital One National Mascot of the Year award with the help of the Yell Crew and the UCLA student body.

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TRANSCRIPT:

GAUCH: UCLA’s mascot Joe Bruin was out around campus this week at Bruin Walk, De Neve and where we are right now, Ackerman Union, taking selfies with students. Standing in front of Panda Express, Joe and his oversized bear head sticks out like a sore thumb among the waves of hungry students. While usually hyping up the student body for a big football or basketball game, Joe Bruin is in fact here for self-promotion.

JAZYK (In Ackerman): Do you want a photo with Joe anyone?

Girl Student: Sure.

GAUCH: Joe is in the midst of an undefeated season and is in the final round of the Capital One Mascot Challenge facing off against Aubi the Tiger from Auburn University.

JAZYK: I have a lot of meetings with Joe in private. And he is very excited and confident we can do it.

GAUCH: That’s Alex Jazyk, fourth-year American literature student and Yell Crew captain. The Yell Crew is in charge of leading cheers at sporting events. This fall, Alex and the rest of the Yell Crew have taken it upon themselves to support Joe to victory throughout the Mascot Challenge, which began in August. Every year since the first Mascot Challenge in 2002, Capital One has chosen 16 mascots to compete throughout the college football season for the title of National Mascot of the Year as well as a $20,000 scholarship to the winning university.

JAZYK: Over the course of 12 weeks, Joe faced 12 different mascots and he was never defeated because of all the support he got from the Bruins … The playoffs are three weeks; we’re in the final week, championship round. He is posting on his Twitter and Facebook everyday.

GAUCH: School Spirit has propelled Joe’s season, overcoming a number of obstacles. During week three, Joe faced Zippy the Kangaroo from University of Akron, who was previously undefeated in the Mascot Challenge. Joe snuck by with the win, 51-49. Last week in the semifinals Joe challenged Buzz the Yellowjacket from Georgia Tech. With one hour remaining it seemed Joe had met his match. But in a miraculous comeback in the final 20 minutes, Joe Bruin won 51-49 advancing him to the championship round. I head to a men’s basketball game at Pauley Pavilion to see what students think about Joe Bruin’s credentials.

JOSEPHINE: (ME: Why do you think Joe Bruin might be the best mascot in the nation?) He is the best because he’s a Bruin of course and he is so exciting and he gets the crowd going and I feel that he does his job really well.

STUDENTS:  Actions speak louder than words, and Joe Bruin is all about the action. (ME: It doesn’t bother you guys that you can’t have a conversation with him?) He doesn’t need to say anything. We don’t need words.

GAUCH: I disagree. Joe Bruin needs to speak up for why he deserves this award. Yet, when I asked Joe Bruin for a few words …

(Silence from Joe)

GAUCH: A silent bear grin is all I got, at first. But high stakes call for drastic measures and Joe Bruin knows that. So Joe agreed to an exclusive interview with me here on Daily Bruin Radio to tell the world why he is the best mascot in the nation.

JAZYK: He’s doing the Heisman pose, I think that means he won it once.

GAUCH: Yes, that’s Alex again: Joe did not technically speak to us. But using his knack for communicating through gestures, Joe was able to answer the question with the help of his gesture interpreter Alex.

JAZYK: He just pointed to the sky; I think he likes stars. And now he is waving to the crowd, sounds like he’s popular, and now he’s doing a jazz dance … that’s amazing. He is clearly the mascot of the year.

GAUCH: Maybe actions do speak louder than words. Fourth-year political science student Vanessa Perez certainly thinks so.

PEREZ: Gauch: (Did you know that he is in the final round of the best mascot in America competition?) Yeah, I actually am going to post a picture I took with him a while ago … Everybody should vote for him. He’s the best.

GAUCH: Interested students have until Sunday, December 7 to take a selfie with Joe Bruin or to cast their vote on Capital One Mascots dot com. For Daily Bruin Radio, I’m David Gauch.