We all know and love Suffolk University’s Mascot, Hiram the Ram. He’s been there to cheer us on at homecoming events, give us high fives whenever we pass by, and lift up our spirits at sporting games. As Hannah Montana once said, “Everyone makes mistakes, everyone has those days”, and Hiram is no exception… Here is a list of the top five most embarrassing stories of Hiram the ram:
“I was playing Hiram the Ram for the Universities Accepted Students Day. As I was leading a group of over a hundred parents, siblings and potential students across the street to the Sawyer Library, my feet tripped over one another (Please note that Hiram’s hooves are abnormally large). I fell face first into the sidewalk and just sprawled out on the concrete. The entire tour group went silent… Although they couldn’t see my face, I promise you it was a darker shade of red than the blood that began to drip down my knee.” ~ Emily, 18
“I was chosen to play Hiram the ram during a homecoming event. During the 5k run Hiram was supposed to stay near the front of the race, cheering on the other runners enthusiastically. That however, didn’t work out as planned. I did not expect the Hiram costume to be so hot and suffocating. I found that out as I started to run. The other contestants took off, and I soon came to the sad realization that I couldn’t keep up with them in the costume. So there I was, the pride of the university, and the last one to cross the finish line while hundreds of onlookers watched. Definitely not one of my proudest moments.” ~ Ryan, 20
“During a basketball game, Hiram was supposed to run across the court, strut some dance moves for the crowd and quickly make an exit. I ran onto the court full force, ready to show the audience my stellar moves. The crowd went crazy, cheering me on during every jump and turn! Right as I was about to exit, I thought I would give the crowd what they wanted and added in an extra leap. As I jumped into the air I realized I gained too much momentum and came crashing down. Clearly I didn’t pay attention in tenth grade science class, because what goes up must come down (especially a giant ram costume). I landed right on my butt and the crowd went into an uproar. I received a lot of cheers, but unfortunately they were different than the reason I was hoping for.” ~ Ashley, 19
“I was dressed up as Hiram the ram for an Accepted Students Day. I met the tour groups in the 73 Tremont lobby and started to take photographs with everyone. The younger sister of a potential student came up to me asking for a picture. After the photograph was captured she wanted a hug. I leaned in for a little tap on the back, but she ran into my arms full force, knocking me over. It wouldn’t have been that bad if I fell backwards. However, that was not the case. I fell forwards, toppling over the little girl in the process. Her parents ran over, pushed me aside, and rescued her from a furry chaos. Apparently rams aren’t meant to give hugs…” ~ Katie, 20
“I was Hiram the ram for a promotional contest the University was running at the Sawyer Business School. I was giving away free pens to a crowd of students. A student at the top of the staircase shouted that he wanted one, so I wound up my arm and what I thought was a gentle toss, threw it his way. That toss turned into more of a forcible chuck, and the pen proceeded to hit the student in the eye. He screamed out in pain and everyone turned toward the fuzzy paw that was responsible. I felt terrible and had to quickly walk away from a crowd of angry bystanders. I am now one of top ten most wanted Rams in the country. I heard URI’s mascot, Rammy, is number one.” ~ Dylan, 19