(WILSON, N.C.) Soon the sounds of Barton’s campus will be punctuated by the pitter-patter of little paws.
Ms. Godiva and Beau Dacious of Kernersville, proudly announce the birth of their daughter and Barton’s new mascot Baby Bully.
Born on Wednesday, January 9, at Peoples Bulldogs in Kernersville, Baby Bully weighed 12 ounces and measured 4.2 inches long with a brindle spot adorning her lower back.
Honoring the arrival of Barton’s bundle of joy, the Student Government Association (SGA) hosted a baby shower January 30 at 11:45 a.m. in the Hamlin Student Center dining hall. Baby announcement cards commemorating Bully’s birth were available as mementos. Doggie-bone-shaped cookies and cake decorated with blue and white booties were on hand for dessert. The shower featured a contest to guess Bully’s current weight with the prize being a Barton beach chair donated by the Office of Student Affairs.
Since Bully will not be old enough to leave mom for a few more weeks, a photo slideshow featuring mom and baby was on display to give everyone a chance to see the happy family. In addition, two matte-framed pictures were available for well-wishers to sign, welcoming Bully to the Barton family. Bully is scheduled to arrive on campus in late February with her first attended event and official appearance to be halftime at the February 23 home basketball game.
A baby shower isn’t a baby shower without baby gifts, and Bully received plenty. SGA acting President Victoria Gonzalez and Freshman Class Representative Princena Simpkins opened the presents on behalf of the new mascot. Bully received a bib, two leashes, various treats, a cookie jar to hold the treats, a bottle of doggie shampoo, food and water dishes, and a doggie bed. Photos of the shower are available at:
http://www.imageevent.com/barton/bullyshower.
“We’ve always had Bully the mascot, the one with the costume, and we just came up with the idea [to have a live mascot],” said Gonzalez commenting on the SGA’s decision to acquire the new bulldog. Vice-President for Student Affairs Jennifer Newell assisted the SGA in the search for the breeder. Then they had to wait for the puppies to be born.
Bully follows in the paw prints of Barton’s former mascots. These canine icons surprisingly were not named “Bully.” Some of these mascots were Cannonball, Jr., named after former Barton president Howard Stevens “Cannon Ball” Hilley; the audaciously-named Bohunk; and female mascot Bullseye. With Bullseye as a predecessor, Baby Bully is another fine lady to hold the office of mascot.
When you’re popular and good-looking, life is easy, right? Wrong! Bully has responsibilities, too. Charged with promoting spirit and camaraderie, Bully will appear at various campus events throughout the year to instill pride and provide sloppy kisses, a friendly bark, and a fuzzy ear to scratch.
Poet Carl Sandburg said, “The fog comes on little cat feet,” and that’s fine for fog; but at Barton we know that the important stuff comes on little dog feet. Spirit is the spring in the step. Pride is the strut of sure, stocky legs. And college-on-a-first-name-basis friendliness is a round, wrinkled mug and a wagging tail.
Welcome to the family, Bully!
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Questions? Please contact Ken Dozier, web services manager at Barton College, at 252.399.6596 or email: kdozier@barton.edu.