It is a rare event when the beak and wings of our school’s mascot, Freddy Falcon, are passed on to someone else, but that new someone else has been selected. (As exciting as that is, we regret to inform you that we CANNOT reveal the lucky candidate; you can only find that out through word of mouth).

Today, The Gauntlet would like to take a look at what makes Freddy Falcon so special to the school.

To our athletes, Freddy represents the school spirit and sportsmanship an athlete should have. Freddy is always there for our SSES players, cheering them on, even if there aren’t that many fans watching their game. Freddy Falcon’s happiness and energy makes him an inspiration that encourages teams.

“Freddy is all that I try to be as an athlete,” said sophomore Sophia Creneti.

The experience of Freddy Falcon is certainly unique. What makes Freddy really unique is who’s under the mask. To last year’s Freddy Falcon, Tyler Wade, what made Freddy Falcon unique was about capturing the school’s excitement. Freddy represented the excitement for sports or the excitement for the school.

This inspiration that is Freddy Falcon extends across cultures, too. Tyler remembers when exchange students from Japan arrived and Freddy Falcon ran into the room, the visitors were so excited. “I thought that was really cool, how the excitement of a giant bird walking into the room inspired people across cultures.”

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Being Freddy opened doors for him, too. He got exposure to sports he never would’ve been able to play or watch without being Freddy Falcon. Even though Freddy Falcon isn’t an athlete, he makes sports at Saint Stephen’s better. One of the biggest parts of Freddy Falcon is anonymity. So many at Saint Stephen’s didn’t even know he was Freddy Falcon.

The shoes of Freddy Falcon are certainly big shoes to fill. Especially this year with the changes in sports, the new Freddy Falcon will have to do things differently. The students aren’t supposed to know who the new Freddy Falcon is, but here at the Gauntlet, we’re excited for what you’ll bring to Saint Stephen’s this year. Go Falcons!