The Life and Times of a Bird
Peter Reek, TWUSA president (‘89) laughs as he recalls the creation of TWU’s first mascot. With a hint of embarrassment Reek says, “We didn’t want a Spartan because we thought it would be hard to translate that into an animated figure, and all the other mascots at the time were animals.” And that’s how a big, fuzzy blue bird came to roost at TWU.
According to Reek, in 1989 the Athletics program was beginning to heat up. Basketball was drawing an audience and TWUSA wanted to do something that would drive school spirit. Built by a TWU student, the fledgling was unveiled at a basketball game where it was wheeled in on a red cart to the 2001 A Space Odyssey theme.
Known simply as “The Bird,” the feathered mascot with the torch logo on its chest was a university staple for almost seven years. But in 1996, TWUSA felt that TWU needed a mascot that better represented who the Spartans were, and thus Sparty the Spartan was born.
What happened to the blue bird? The demise of TWU’s feathered friend occurred during one fateful basketball game. Eye witnesses recall seeing The Bird run the length of the gym, dive bomb across the floor, sail through the gym’s double doors and promptly rip its beak off.
Back to Top Table of Contents
Share This Story
Feature Stories
A Sense of Place
Jonathan Raymond, Ph.D., shares his life experiences, and his passion for transforming students through education.
Shakespeare's North American Tragedy
The European starling has devastated agriculture across North America. Biology Professor Karen Steensma has solutions.
Inside the DPRK
Professor Phil Goertzen has had a lifechanging encounter with the people and land of North Korea.