About the University of Arkansas: The University of Arkansas provides an internationally competitive education for undergraduate and graduate students in more than academic programs. The university contributes new knowledge, economic development, basic and applied research, and creative activity while also providing service to academic and professional disciplines.
The Carnegie Foundation classifies the University of Arkansas among fewer than 2. Founded in , the University of Arkansas comprises 10 colleges and schools and maintains a low student-to-faculty ratio that promotes personal attention and close mentoring.
Amy Schlesing, director of strategic communication University Relations , amys uark. David and Monica Petter have dedicated a portion of their soybean field in Stuttgart to help commemorate the th anniversary of the U of A. Members of the Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow chapter recently volunteered at the Arkansas Youth Expo livestock show in Fayetteville.
Tusk is the name of the official live mascot for the University of Arkansas Razorbacks. It is one of three offspring of Tusk I all male; female swine do not have tusks which were born on either August 2, or August 12, , to two separate female sows.
All three are Russian boars , resemble wild razorback hogs, and weigh in at approximately pounds each. All three Russian boars live on a rural farm, just outside of Dardanelle, Arkansas, and travel to every home football game at Fayetteville, or Little Rock, Arkansas, as well as other select events such as pep rallies.
Tusk III is put into a spacious cardinal red holding pen which travels through the crowds, with the cheerleaders on the upper level, making him a crowd favorite.
During the actual game, Tusk is moved into Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium where he can be seen by the entire crowd. There are only a few lineage mascots in the entire country. Tusk III occupies a 9,square-foot m 2 indoor facility and a 7,square-foot m 2 fenced outdoor area. He uses the indoor facility to escape the heat and sun, and the outdoor facility provides him the opportunity to slop in several mud holes. One of the first things that Tusk III does each day is to go straight to his mud hole for a mud bath.
Since Razorbacks are extremely muscular and have very little body fat, the mud keeps him cooler throughout the day and protects him from the sun and insects. Russian boars are extremely strong and surprisingly quick and fast for their size. He bathes them, cleans their pens and monitors their health.
On game days he has help from the whole family, including Chip, who works for the U. Forest Service and stays with Tusk on any overnight trips. Julie orchestrates everything, regularly talking with representatives from the university about marketing and scheduling for Tusk, which is extensive and includes pep rallies and pregame events. Julie was rushed to Little Rock, where she underwent successful surgery via a heart cath and only missed one game before returning to the sidelines with Tusk.
Overseeing a live mascot involves detailed planning and a deep understanding of the species. The tusks, he points out, can grow up to 6 or 8 inches, but hogs regularly break them off. This thorough knowledge of hogs is important because it helps Keith understand the science of the Tusks. They were too big, and as a result had shorter lives.
Realizing that, Keith chose females with less European blood to breed into the Tusk line, to ensure Tusk V and Feisty will enjoy longer lives at a smaller size. Tusk IV, left, is the father of Tusk V. The 9-year-old hog is enjoying time at his home with Keith Stokes in his retirement from the limelight.
He allows for a year or so of bonding and learning their temperaments before choosing which one will be the next mother of Tusk. Maintaining the bloodline means always selecting two hogs from the litter, which is why Feisty is still on the farm. If Tusk V dies before mating, Feisty will take over.
First he plops into the water on his left side, coating it in the thick mud, then turns his attention to the right until he emerges fully covered and dripping. Tusk V is energetic and playful, and he takes full advantage of the space, running from one area to another.
Tusk V and Feisty are treated to 3 to 4 pounds of specially prepared food a day. At different stages of their lives, hogs require different nutrients, Stokes explains.
He mixes their food — a blend of whole kernel corn, ground corn and protein — with a higher ratio of protein, while Tusk IV receives more carbohydrates. Tusk IV at the Arkansas-Alabama game in In preparation for the season opener, Keith and Julie recently took Tusk V on a two-hour trip in his game-day trailer. Their trailers are custom built with air conditioning and a gallon water tank, and the large trailer has an area at the top where Keith and Chip sleep when Tusk has an overnight stay.
You want to build that relationship and that trust with him. The Stokeses only bring the current mascot to games, so keeping him calm and comfortable is essential because if he gets upset there is no backup waiting in the wings.
After so many years, the Stokeses are used to that reaction, but it never gets old for Keith. A few years ago he was waiting inside the visitors tunnel at Razorback Stadium when he saw a woman surrounded by a large group of people.
Keith Stokes has raised Tusk V into the budding mascot he is today. Terry Saban, whom Keith would later recognize, saw Keith feeding Tusk IV grapes and asked whether she could feed the mascot. Keith went through his schtick, asking if she was a concert pianist or a heart surgeon before letting her feed him. Last year Keith said he approached Saban after the Alabama game to let her know Tusk IV was retiring, giving her a chance to say goodbye to the mascot.
The people whom Keith meets along the way have always been one of the biggest perks of the job. I love those types of stories.
0コメント