Hendrix the Husky is a

mascot A mascot is any human, animal, or object thought to bring luck, or anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name. Mascots are also used as fi ...

at the

University of Washington Tacoma The University of Washington Tacoma (UW Tacoma) is a campus of University of Washington in Tacoma, Washington. The UW Tacoma campus opened in leased space in 1990 and opened its permanent campus in 1997. History Following the establishment of T ...

, often seen at events hosted by the institution such as Husky Hangouts, new student orientations, and movie nights. The mascot, a male husky dog, was introduced in 2009.

History

In summer 2008, the Student Activity Board at UW Tacoma wished to adopt a school mascot for the university, and the school's Spirit and Traditions chair began to work on the idea shortly after. They teamed up with Student Affairs and Husky Athletics and nine months later in early 2009, the husky mascot was introduced. The university's students were asked to vote on what to name him, with the stipulation that the name begin with "H". Names such as Hayley, Hilda, and Humphrey were submitted to the ballot, but the ultimate winner of the vote was "Hendrix" (the second most popular name was "Hauser"). It is rumored that the name was inspired by Seattle-born rock musician

Jimi Hendrix James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix; November 27, 1942September 18, 1970) was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. Although his mainstream career spanned only four years, he is widely regarded as one of the most ...

.Hendrix the Husky Mascot
UW Tacoma. Accessed March 14, 2012

Personality

Hendrix is often seen wearing a UW jersey and shorts. The mascot has an enlightening spirit and plentiful enthusiasm which is conveyed by his energetic handshakes and innocent curiosity. All spirit around campus is led by him, and he usually travels with a handler. It is not known if Hendrix can speak; no one has heard his

voice The human voice consists of sound made by a human being using the vocal tract, including talking, singing, laughing, crying, screaming, shouting, humming or yelling. The human voice frequency is specifically a part of human sound production in ...

, but it is rumored he can speak at a

high frequency High frequency (HF) is the ITU designation for the range of radio frequency electromagnetic waves (radio waves) between 3 and 30 megahertz (MHz). It is also known as the decameter band or decameter wave as its wavelengths range from one to ten ...

. Students say he loves to sing, but during the one showcase when he was about to sing, the sound system started to malfunction. Students around campus are keen to learn more about Hendrix's true identity.Ledger introducing Hendr

Accessed March 14, 2012. He is most likely the brother of

Harry the Husky Harry the Husky is a body-suit mascot for the University of Washington, one of two mascots the University's athletic program currently uses. Hendrix the Husky is Harry's brother that lives at UW Tacoma.UW news article of Hendri Accessed March 14, 2 ...

and Holly the Husky. The mascot enjoys receiving

fist bumps A fist bump (also known as a bro fist or power five) is a gesture similar in meaning to a handshake or high five. A fist bump can also be a symbol of giving respect or approval, as well as companionship between two people. It can be followed b ...

.UW news article of Hendr

Accessed March 14, 2012.

References

{{Reflist Washington Huskies College mascots in the United States University of Washington Tacoma 2009 introductions 2009 establishments in Washington (state)