Page 219 - Toledo Football Media Guide - 2012

220 THE UNIVERSITY

and rural areas, pursuing a myriad of careers and majoring in everything from architecture to zoology. The Rocket Marching Band has proudly represented UT with professionalism, dignity, spirit and excellence.

Auxilliaries to the Rocket Marching Band include theDancingRock-ets and theFlagLine. TheRock-ets constitute adance lineof approxi-mately 14 women who are chosen each spring bya special audition.TheFlagLine is comprised of approximately28womenwhoprimarily twirl fags during Rocket Marching Band pre-game and half-time shows.

The Cheerleaders

Providing the spirit at all home and road football games are the cheerleaders. The cheerleaders are also at every home men’s and women’sbasketballgame, andnumerouspublic appearances on behalf of the UT Athletic Department. The UT cheerleading squad consists of a varsity and a ju-

nior varsity squad. There is a total of 33 members—16 varsity, 16 junior varsity and one mascot.

The varsity squad practices throughout the summer in preparation for the coming season. The varsity squad travels to all the away football games, and cheers on the men’s basketball team. For football games, the varsity squad is stationed primarily in the southeast corner of the stadium.

The JV squad cheers at every home foot-ball game and the women’s basketball games. For football games, the JV squad is stationed primarily in the southwest corner of the sta-dium.

Rocky the Rocket

Rocky the Rocket, theUniversity ofToledo’s mascot, began in the 1966-67 academic year by the Spirits andTraditions committee, an ap-pendage of Student Government, with various

students being chosen todress up for a couplediferent games. Then in the fall of 1968, Rockywas taken under thewing of Dan Seemann, Director of Student Activities at the time, and the frst ofcial Rocky the Rocket, Bill Navarre, emerged. Navarre displayed his super spirit at UT both home and away football and basketball games in the Rocky the Rocket costume, which wasmade by the theater department seamstress. The costume was essentially a wastepaper basket with a pointed rocket top made of papier-mâché.

Over the years Rocky’s costume has changedmany times. In the early 70s, Rocky wore a tall metal rocket helmet with many diferent jumpsuit type outfts, including such items as bellbottom pants. Then, in 1977, an authentic spacesuit, helmet, and boots were donated to the university by the NASA Space Center in Houston, Texas with the help of former Ohio astronaut and senator, JohnGlenn. The space suit was used for football games, but because of its mass, a lightweight replica was used for the basketball season. Both suits were used until 1980 when Rocky took on a more futuristic look in a costume that was designed to present more of a space rocket image. Another Rocky costume, whichwas plushwithhuge feet, was introduced in 1983, but was only used until 1986 when a big blue plush Rocky with smaller feet was unveiled. Throughout the late 1980s andmost of the 1990s onlyminor changes were

made to Rocky’s costume. In 1998, at the Bowling Green football game, a new Rocky arrived at midfeld via helicopter. The new Rocky had a blue and gold rock-et-man costume, complete with jetpack and astronaut helmet.

The latest Rocky, which was unveiled in fall of 2008, maintains the futuristic space concept but is depictedmore as a cartoon super hero.

letic Traditions

The UT Marching Band

A reunion of Rocky the Rocket costumes.