March 2, 2010

PHILADELPHIA -

Brienne Ryan is the 32nd student representative and only the second woman to be The Hawk in the 53- year history of Saint Joseph's University mascot. The Hawk is a rarity among university mascots because the student is required to attend every practice and every game (home and away) with the SJU men's basketball team. "My professors are very understanding of the commitment that is required to be The Hawk and they work with my schedule," said Ryan.

Ryan is a senior marketing major and very dedicated to her school work. She interned with Aramark and the Philadelphia Phillies, when they won the World Series. Luckily she interned last year, because this year, she does not have any free time in her schedule.

Brienne is the epitome of a multi-tasker. She is a member of the Executive Board of "Hand-in-Hand," an organization that hosts an annual fair on campus with all proceeds benefit handicapped children and adults, with this year's taking place on April 10. She is a lector at Saint Joseph's Chapel, head team manager of the men's basketball team, a student worker in the basketball office and of course, The Hawk.

Being The Hawk carries with it a huge responsibility. In addition to being with the basketball team at all practices and games, she also appears at school events, charity events, community events, fundraisers, weddings, and even movie premieres. "Tonight I'm going to the movie premiere of `From Paris with Love' at the Landmark Ritz East. They want me to go up and down the aisles flapping and I'm nervous about the lighting in there." Brienne is concerned because The Hawk suit is extremely heavy, hot and difficult to see out of. "It's so heavy and when a venue or arena is packed with people, it is that much hotter."

Ryan, with the assistance of the Athletic Department , is responsible for scheduling her appearances as well as budgeting her time. She has the freedom to say "no" to certain requests for her appearance, but she tries not to. "I'm not the kind of person to turn down a request, so I try to budget all of my time to make it work." She takes her job very seriously and is grateful for the unique opportunity she has been given.

At games, it is up to Brienne to lead the team out before the start of each game. "We stand in the huddle, say a prayer and once I put that head on, I have to flap through the whole game." The motto is "The Hawk Will Never Die" and Brienne is required to keep flapping from the moment she puts the head on in the team huddle, through half time and until the buzzer ends at the end of the game.

It's a vigorous workout to keep running around flapping for 2-plus hours. "Someone calculated that it's between 3,200 and 3,500 flaps per game," she said. Brienne has the arms to prove it. "Over the past year my arms and upper back have definitely grown stronger, it's similar to what happens to a swimmer." Being The Hawk requires a serious physical commitment, even during a Gatorade break at the game, Ryan keeps one arm flapping at all times.

Brienne tried out to be The Hawk the previous year, but didn't make it. "This made me want it even more," she says. She wasn't discouraged. She was always an athlete, but knew she needed to start seriously training so she could be physically prepared.

"I started training seven days a week in February of last year." The decision of who would be The Hawk wouldn't be made until May, but Brienne started swimming, running, and lifting to get herself in shape. She didn't want the physical requirements, of flapping for two and a half hours, to hold her back. She knew if she set her mind to it, she could physically handle it- just like any of the guys.

In the end of March 2009, typically when the basketball season ends, Brienne turned in her application which included an essay of why she wanted to be The Hawk and what The Hawk meant to her, two letters of recommendation from faculty, a resume, copy of transcripts, and the hope to make it through a series of three rounds of interviews. Being The Hawk is not just about wearing The Hawk costume, it is about choosing a liaison to represent the University.

On May 11th, Coach Martelli told Ryan that she had been selected to be The Hawk and represent the University. "I was so happy, I'll never forget that moment," she recalls. No time was wasted and two days later she had her first event of flapping at a 50th Class Reunion.

Brienne's family was just as happy as she was to hear the good news. "My family has always been a basketball family," she says. Brienne and her family caught Saint Joseph's fever when her older sister Caitlin Ryan attended SJU. Caitlin was the Director of Basketball Operations when she was a student. "Now that I'm The Hawk, my family attends almost all of my games, home and away and they are very supportive." Her family followed the team on a trip to St. Thomas, Virgin Islands. "St. Thomas was one of my favorite places to travel, it was beautiful and we had the opportunity to meet a lot of new people."

Of the places Ryan has traveled, she says that University of Minnesota was interesting because it is the second largest college in the country, with around 50,000 students. "Being at that game was a unique experience. The students must have Googled me because at one point during the game they were chanting my name--and it wasn't always with the nicest things." This didn't seem to bother Brienne, because she genuinely loves being The Hawk. "I always try to stay positive and the security keeps an eye out for me. Plus I'm proud to say that I haven't had any problems yet." Brienne is also proud to say that she hasn't received criticism from alumni for her flapping because "they can be our biggest critics."

The University appreciates the commitment and hard work that is expected from The Hawk . The Hawk receives an endowment scholarship for the year. "It's a sweet deal, I get a free ride to school and get to contribute to a sport I love." She doesn't get to see her friends as much as she normally would, "but this is such an amazing experience, it's worth a little sacrifice."

Brienne gets a full scholarship, great workouts, travels all over the country with the basketball team and has the best seat in the house for every game. "To me, this is the perfect year to be The Hawk ; 100 years of basketball, the new Hagan Arena, not a better group of players, coaches and staff. It is unbelievable!"

It is clear why Brienne Ryan was chosen to represent Saint Joseph's University. She is confident, driven, passionate and organized. At the end of this basketball season, Brienne will aid in the decision of who will be next year's Hawk. If you're interested, it may be a good idea to start hitting the gym now!