September 1, 2008 By Sarah Hayes Changes to Little George Heighten GW's Spirit GW Spirit Program Director Nicole Macchione-Early

watched as GW mascot Little George approached a young girl on the street. The girl embraced him and refused to leave his side as her parents took pictures. Macchione-Early breathed a sigh of relief--Little George's makeover had passed the test. Macchione-Early, students, staff, and administrators have been working on Little George's new look for approximately eight months. "We noticed that the growing trend in college mascots was to have a more animated, fanfriendly costume. It was important to us to keep up with the trends of other prominent Division I schools," said Macchione-Early. The new costume consists of a tri-corner hat with the GW athletic logo front and center. George's most noticeable changes happened up top. Macchione-Early says his head and hair are now made of a felt material, a big difference from the papier-mache material used on George since the early 1990s. "For a while, George also wore a royal blue and yellow jacket with matching striped socks. That has now changed to a uniform of buff and blue," said Macchione-Early. Little George, who got his start as "George 1" after a student vote in 1948, has been given makeovers before. Approximately five versions of the mascot have cheered on GW since its debut at a GW v. University of Virginia football game nearly 60 years ago. "Little George gets better and better each time the costume changes," says MacchioneEarly. "George looks more fierce and intimidating now."

In addition to Little George, GW's Spirit Program has added other mascots over the years. Standing at 10 feet tall, Big George was introduced in the 90s as GW's "biggest" sports fan, and the Hippo, who stands at 12 feet tall, was adopted in the fall of 2001 as the student life mascot. The pair, along with Little George, attend both men's and women's basketball games, spirit events, and even weddings.