Guy behind the costume creates a Buzz
The job's not always easy, but it's been a good fit for Miles Bajko for more than two years. The 17-year-old senior has donned the yellow and black since his sophomore year, from August through February, to serve as Buzz, North Augusta High School's mascot.
As the official Yellow Jacket, Bajko usually hangs out with the cheerleading squad, looking to stir up the crowd at football and basketball games alike.
"I just enjoy making people get pumped up," he said.
He sometimes gets a little too much attention, in his cheerleader-associated role. "Some people think it's a girl, and it's not a girl. Guys will come up to me and it's like, 'No, this is a guy.'"
Reactions also vary among babies, as Buzz makes some happy and causes others (by accident) to burst into tears.
"Most of the little girls run away," he added.
He knows all of the cheerleading routines and practices them with the Yellow Jacket squad. As for the costume, he confirmed, "It's extremely hot in there."
Basketball season tends to be rougher, as the conditions are hotter and more crowded. Vision is tough, and binocular vision is impossible, Bajko noted.
Among other obstacles, he said, has been the fact that he has asthma.
"That's probably one of the most strenuous parts of being a mascot, and then another hard part is trying not to get the crowd too pumped up because if they get too pumped up, they tend to beat on you a little bit," he said.
Cindy Cawthon, the cheerleading coach, gave a thumbs-up review to Bajko's service.
"He has created the persona of Buzz," she said, confirming that Bajko's successor will "have large shoes to fill."
Buzz's feet, according to Bajko, require some practice, in terms of learning to walk and avoiding a major tumble, especially when going up and down stadium steps.
Bajko said he needs about three and a half minutes to get into full costume and about two minutes to get out.
A successor for Bajko has not yet been chosen, although some students have expressed interest in filling the role.
"I don't think they really realize how tough it is, sometimes," he said.
Cheerleader Marina Clements, a junior, said, "He makes all the difference. Next year, I really hope we have another mascot because it just really unifies the school, and it's just so much more exciting when he's there. You notice that the crowd is not as pumped up when he's not there. He just really brings out the spirit in the students and the entire North Augusta area."
Bajko said he may pursue a degree in mechanical engineering, possibly en route to a job in car or aircraft manufacturing. He plans to attend Anderson University - home of the Trojans - and is thinking about trying out to serve as mascot.