The University of Akron is holding tryouts for the role of award-winning marsupial mascot Zippy on Tuesday, Feb. 11 and Wednesday, Feb. 12 from 6 to 8 p.m. on the 7th floor of InfoCision Stadium.
The deadline to register for an audition is Friday, Feb. 7 at 11:59 p.m.
Over the last year, Zippy has been seen at more than 350 events. She has joined Zips for their birthday parties, graduation parties, parades, marches, weddings, at recruitment week on UA’s campus, photo opportunities, and many other places.
There’s a certain magic and mystique to Zippy. You will never see two Zippys in the same place at the same time.
Michelle Banis, Director of Alumni Relations and resident Marsupial Manager, has the important job of tracking Zippy throughout the day and keeping the magic alive.
If more than one team member is playing Zippy, Banis described how she transforms into a Zippy air traffic controller.
“All right, Zippy here cannot walk across campus,” she demonstrated. “If Zippy is over here, you know, you need to get dressed and changed in the same location.”
A single student couldn’t appear at 350 events, or be in two places at once, so “not to ruin the mascot magic, but of course there’s more than one student in the suit,” Banis said.
More than just two student members, there is a small team of students who bring her to life.
To try out for Zippy, a candidate must be a current student with a minimum GPA of 2.0 and they must fit the suit, which requires a minimum height of 5’6 and a maximum height of 6’4.
Students who audition will try on the Zippy suit, walk for a panel of judges and dance to UA’s fight song. The judging panel includes faculty and staff members, as well as current senior members of the Zippy team.
After the movement section of the audition, students will sit down one-on-one with the judges for an interview where the judges can get to know each candidate.
Speaking with “The Buchtelite” under the condition of strict anonymity (to protect the magic), one of the current senior members of the Zippy team recounted their audition.
“The best part of my interview was… just having fun with it,” they said. “They saw I was having fun with it and that’s exactly what they are looking for: somebody who can just embrace good energy.”
According to the roo-operator-who-shall-not-be-named, once officially hired, the chosen students will take part in training affectionately known as “Zippy School.” In Zippy School, you learn everything you need to know to be The University of Akron mascot.
Training includes topics such as making sure you have the costume on properly, how to engage with guests at an event, overall professionalism and even how to stay hydrated. The training takes one to two months and includes shadowing a senior member of the team.
All the members playing Zippy participate in “Zippy School,” to make sure the new Zippy members are ready to go.
Once training is complete, a member of the Zippy team is expected to attend a minimum of 10 events each semester.
Becoming Zippy comes with many benefits. Zippy team members are paid, receive a mileage allowance for travel, enjoy flexible scheduling and thoughtful procedures at events to ensure their comfort.
Team members with a GPA of 2.5 or higher also become eligible to apply for the ‘James R and Phyllis C Berry Zippy and Job Scholarship.
According to our secret Zippy team member, no one ever really thinks of actually stepping into the role of Zippy themselves. They know someone is in the costume, but people only see her essence.
They had messages of encouragement for those interested in trying out.
“Once you get over that little hump and realize honestly, anybody could do it,” they said. “You just have to have good energy, a little creativity and just the desire to put yourself out there.”
If you don’t meet the height requirements, you can reach out to Michelle Banis for consideration for a role as Zippy’s helper. These students carry the titles “handlers with zippy” or “marsupial managers.”
Students with questions about tryouts or becoming a Zippy helper can reach out to Michelle Banis directly at [email protected].
Tryout signups end Friday, February 7 at 11:59 p.m. Sign up here today.
