Ask Us: What does being URBee entail?

Have you ever wondered who is inside the bee costume at football games? Unfortunately, the identities of UR’s current coveted mascots cannot be revealed, but we can give you a little insight into what it is like to be URBee.At present, there are two students that take on the role of the mascot. Despite popular belief, there is no formal recruitment for the position. One of the current URBees fell into the suit while enjoying dinner at Danforth Dining Center earlier this semester. The only technical requirement is that the student be relatively short – the current mascots are 5 feet 1 inch and 5 feet 5 inches tall.There is, however, an audition process that one must endure in order to land the job. The prospective mascot must arrange one minute of choreographed music and perform it for the current mascots and the cheerleading squad. Afterward, the student will be given a trial at a sporting event to see how they perform in front of a live audience. URBee is most noted for appearances at athletic events. The mascot is always present at football and baseketball games. If any other teams are interested in having URBee present at their games, they must arrange for it through the cheerleading squad. Since there are two students who act as URBee, they often share the stage, rotating in and out of costume by quarter.This past weekend, URBee was out in full force at Meliora Weekend festivities, and as you might have noticed, the old furry costume was brought back to join the newer bee. The older costume features a giant stinger on its head, and is also in the color scheme of an actual yellowjacket, not royal blue and bright yellow, like the updated version.In each costume, vision is limited – there is no peripheral vision in the new costume and no binocular vision in the older suit. In addition, the outfit is very heavy, so a great deal of upper body strength is required in order to do the gymnastics and dancing that always entertain the crowd.URBee can always be counted on for a dose of school spirit, and many alumni look forward to reacquainting themselves with the mascot whenever they return to campus. The bee is often subject to attacks, hugs and photo requests, but the attention is welcomed. “I’m addicted to it,” URBee said. “I thought I would get so tired of being the bee becuase it is so demanding, but now I want to do it to embarrass people.”