At all athletic events, you can count on one thing: our school mascot, Freddy Falcon, will always be there ready to cheer on the team and excite the crowd in the bleachers. However, one may not realize that there is more to Freddy Falcon than just the green and gold costume. This year, our mascot has a new costume that shows him as a strong and dedicated athlete. Ever since ninth grade, Senior Dawson Hamilton has been the school’s mascot, taking on the role of what it takes to be an energetic and spirited school mascot.

Some may wonder why schools even have mascots. The main reason is that they are a simple way to uphold the school’s spirit, especially at athletic events, together with the crowd.  

The Freddy Falcon that so energetically trots across the field’s sidelines during all of the sports seasons is senior Dawson Hamilton. He came to Saint Stephen’s as a freshman and since then, has suited up as Freddy Falcon.

“When I first got to Saint Stephen’s, I really wanted to commit to expressing spirit, as I was always full of energy,” said Dawson. “A mascot is supposed to be the symbol of spirit, to motivate the fans, and to get them excited for games and events.”

However, while Dawson has always made sure Freddy Falcon appears at the various athletic events, he also is an integral part of the cross country team, serving as one of the team captains this year, too.

Dawson stands out on the cross-country team in a couple of ways. According to J.B. Wolcott, the cross country coach, he described Dawson as “a ‘lieutenant’ within the ranks in years prior.” Wolcott said that Dawson “is the go-to person for any cheer, the one who chants ‘one-two-three, Falcons!’ in the huddle before any girls or boys squad steps up to the start line. Although he can’t always cheer for his teammates throughout their races, he always gets us started as a team,” Wolcott said.

Dawson said that his inner Freddy Falcon usually comes out whenever his cross country team is running races because he likes to cheer and support his team mates.

From a season full of excitement, encouragement, and best times, each runner has something special to remember as a keepsake from the season. “My best memory was advancing the boys to the state competition for the 2nd time in the history of Saint Stephen’s cross country team,” said Dawson.

However, the journey to getting such results always takes diligent practice and dedication.

Wolcott said that not only has Dawson become a faster runner, but he is able to withstand pain and fatigue while running. “In his first season, I discovered as a coach that if I will just keep cheering him on, he can push past the distraction of his body saying ‘enough,’ and actually accelerate back to full race pace multiple times.”

Wolcott continued, “He can run well while fully aware and conscious [of his surroundings], but with encouragement, he can race just as well in circumstances where others (myself included) just fall apart. He literally answers the call and fights for every last step.”

In fact, encouragement is something that keeps a runner motivated, making him able to power through the final yards of a race. Dawson said that something he’s learned through cross country is that you can never do anything alone: “You always need to have people supporting you,” he said.

“All it takes is a little sweat and a lot of school spirit,” Dawson said.

Beyond being a mascot at the high school level, a former two and a half year Georgia Tech yellow jacket “Buzz” Christoph Stephenson-Moe described his own experience and importance of being a mascot in college.

He said that one of the most important things to keep in mind while in the mascot suit is staying hydrated. “That suit is a death trap if you aren’t careful, especially in a hot place like Atlanta during football season. I was very fortunate that the Buzz suit allowed me to drink through the mouth, a lot of mascots didn’t have that luxury.”

Wolcott explained that this fall season, Dawson grew as a runner— his pacing was consistent, his running times continued to stay strong. “However, he has grown even more as a person this fall, sustaining a high level of performance while balancing college applications and a new job, in addition to his usual academic and extracurricular pursuits,” he said.

What Dawson has gained from cross country, both as a runner and as a captain, is success on his own terms, said Wolcott. “When he dresses up as Freddy Falcon and quietly inspires others with his school spirit, when he laces up his shoes to run, Dawson is just as dedicated and spirited, but he is fully himself,” explained Wolcott. “I feel like his freshman year he was looking for ‘a way to get involved’ at Saint Stephen’s. The top reason we asked him to serve as a captain this year is because he personifies the running and the persistence we prize in cross-country.”

When not a race with his cross country team and instead at a sporting event, Dawson suits up as Freddy. “The most challenging thing about being a mascot is not being able to take your mask off. It gets really hot in the suit and the only way I can take it off is if I hide in the field house,” Dawson.

“I do hope if I am granted any opportunities in college, then I would like to move forward as a mascot at the college level,” Dawson said.

Stephenson-Moe said while he was a college mascot, his time was “awesome, and a surprising amount of work.” He said: “Whenever I was Buzz, on campus, everyone got excited when I would show up, especially at football games. I would climb into the student section, everyone would cheer, crowd surf, go somewhere else, more cheering, it was great,” said Stephenson-Moe. “For me it was all about being in the suit, some people (other Buzzes) like having the secret when they are doing their normal stuff. I just loved showing up places and exciting people.”

Stephenson-Moe explained that there were two main reasons why it is important to have a mascot. “One, it’s important to have a representative of your school who is blameless and will not ever let fans down. High profile players, coaches, and university presidents all run the risk of scandal and making bad decisions because they are people just like anybody else, but mascots aren’t people, they don’t even talk,” he said. “Second, mascots can provide a lot of entertainment and fun. Sometimes people get really hyped up a sporting events, and it’s good to have a mascot spread around a lot of positive energy.”

Mascots allow the students and faculty to enjoy a sporting event or just a spirit event. When Dawson Hamilton suits up as our school’s mascot Freddy Falcons and comes to our school events, we are all cheering enthusiastically and cheering the teams on.