With North Atlanta’s school mascot tryouts out of the way the question arises: Do we really need a mascot? This year, finally, the answer is “Yes.”

North Atlanta has never had a school Warrior mascot. However, with a new school building come new opportunities and momentum. And for the challenge of securing a new mascot to embody our school pride, teacher Deanna Hasty stepped up to the plate. She first proposed the mascot idea and the administration quickly agreed with the idea. Hasty, an honors literature teacher now in her second year at North Atlanta, started working on the project during the 2013-14 school year. “We needed to improve school spirit and needed a rallying figure. And now we have just that!” Hasty said.

For the mascot project, Hasty approached the Bam! Mascot Inc., a Mississauga, Ontario-based company that specializes in mascot design and development.

The sword-and-shield wielding mascot made his debut during the football scrimmage against Lovett on August 15. The reception he received was uniformly positive. “I thought he was fun, and certainly having him there was a good representation of school spirit,” said Sara Beth Cimowsky, a sophomore.

Getting the bulky mascot suit here was a lengthy process, Hasty said. Naming him took considerable thought as well. After many possibilities were weighed, Hasty and her naming committee arrived at a name worthy of a creature who embodies tenacity, hard work, and enduring courage. Mascot, thy name – from henceforth – is “Maximus.”

“He’s awesome and he’s already generated great school spirit,” said Assistant Principal Robert Whitman. Whitman speaks from first-hand experience as he was one of the first to wear the mascot around school.

Although many students wanted a mascot that behaved like an out-of-bounds character from a VH1 reality show, it was determined that reality would be much different. It’s a special honor to wear the helmet, and wield the sword and shield, Hasty said. A student who wears the mascot outfit has to exhibit school spirit, maintain an A or B average, show dedication and flexibility, and also have a relatively clean slate where school discipline is concerned. “It’s has to be someone of good character to get inside of this suit,” she said.

As a new teacher last year, Hasty made a very large impact in a very short period of time. Her legacy at the school will be long-lasting, no doubt. It also will include a large fuzzy-skinned silver-helmeted happy-go-lucky warrior who will walk the sidelines at games for years to come. All hail our new mascot: Maximus!