When I first decided to attend the University of Minnesota, I remember a friend of mine chuckling at the thought of me becoming a Gopher. A Gopher is, perhaps a slightly unusual mascot, not fierce like a Tiger, not outright ridiculous like a Hokie, (whatever that is), but it is the perfect personification of Minnesota nice.

For 74 years, Goldy the Gopher has been the face of the University of Minnesota, and he couldn’t be happier. A die-hard Gopher fan and an athlete himself, Goldy leads an interesting life. From performing at sporting events, to making personal appearances, to practicing his signature dance moves and of course, making time to impress the ladies, Goldy is quite the busy little gopher. As a student athlete whose season never ends, staying in shape year-round is a necessity. As Jon Hart, Coordinator for Goldy Gopher performances states, “it is very grueling to be in the costume,” and so physical fitness is important. As a student athlete, Goldy must be a full time student, maintain a 2.0 GPA, and attend regular practices. Other than that, there are few actual requirements for becoming Goldy.

Each spring there is an audition process, during which students are tested on physical fitness, personality, character creation and improvisation. This is the best way to test the students’ ability to perform and of course make people laugh. We’ve all witnessed Goldy’s sideline performances, and can probably agree that he is able to do all of that amazingly well.

And the best part of performing? “Interacting with the true Minnesota sports fans that are crazy at the games,” says Goldy, they are “the best in the country…energetic, loyal, [they] yell loud, and love their team.”

As for signature dance moves and sideline performances, Goldy has a few up his sleeve. He calls his most impressive move the “head spin,” which can be initiated by the crowd if they yell “Spin Your Head!” to the beat of three claps repeatedly until grabbing Goldy’s full attention. Post-touchdown, the crowd loves to count along as Goldy does a number of pushups equal to the Gopher’s score. Goldy is a nationally recognized mascot. This year, Goldy was among 12 university mascots nominated for the Capital One Mascot Challenge. He calls the whole experience a “true honor,” and feels grateful to Capital One for providing mascots with some much deserved recognition, saying that the competition “really gives mascots a chance to shine.”

It may seem odd to be writing this and referring only to Goldy, and not the person who puts on that suit and entertains us all at sporting events. But, it is essential to protecting what Jon Hart refers to as the “integrity of the character.”

Any actor knows that one of the worst things that he or she can do on stage is break character. For the duration of each performance the actor is not himself, the actor is the character. This basic theater lesson is taught to Goldy and is strictly upheld, hence the lack of a personal interview with the performer.

The more that I considered this extensive secrecy I realized the importance of it. Hart puts it simply; Goldy is a symbol not only for the athletics department, but for the university and even the state as a whole. The identity of the performers must be kept secret because Goldy is “so much bigger than the individual…and no one individual can take credit for what Goldy does.”

And Goldy loves everything he does. He is able to travel and perform around the country, and makes appearances at birthday parties, weddings, and charity events, to name a few. Despite the fact that he receives “numerous professional offers each year,” he certainly has no intention of leaving the university. Though he loves his position here, if he could be any mascot, Goldy would want to be a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle. “I am pretty good with a Bo staff…and I have been practicing my Nunchakus skills.” He has some in his locker and told me to stop by if I ever wanted an exhibition. Perhaps I’ll take him up on that offer.

Contact Jon Hart at the Spirit Squad Office for information on the spring auditions (612) 382-0609