Who is Louis the Lion

Emma Aviv '24

Copy Editor

I’m sure by now you’ve all seen our beloved mascot, Louis the Lion. Whether it be at a Crespi football game or one of our own Louisville events, Louis always puts a smile on our faces. But who is he? Have you ever noticed that this wonderful lion is tall one day then short the next?

Most schools make it known who their mascot is, but the Royals do it a little differently. Sources say that the mascot is a different person every time he is seen. He could be a freshman, a senior, your favorite teacher– maybe he’s all three! After all, wouldn’t it be enlightening to find out that Louis could be Mr. Telesca?

Louis is typically believed to be a senior, as it is only fitting to have our top dogs take on this role, but who has the courage to do it? After all, Louis is incredibly important to the Louisville community, so it only makes sense to give this big responsibility to someone truly trustworthy.

The question first arose at the Crespi Homecoming football game when fellow Louisville Royals began to ask “who is it under the mask?” when interacting with our short, bubbly mascot. The question hung in the air for the rest of the game that night.

Will we ever truly know Louis the Lion’s identity or is he really a different student each time he appears. Maybe he is an enigma who is not meant to be known. Every Royal must have their own idea of who he is, so let’s hear it from a few of them to see who has the best theory.

Emilia Brown ’24 believes that Louis is “definitely somebody who has a lot of energy, they have to be fun and exciting.”

Her theory is that Louis the Lion has to be someone heavily involved in the fall drama. Emilia’s top guess as of now would have to be Valerie McFadden ’23.

Louis the Lion at the Crespi homecoming game

Funny enough, Valerie has some interesting theories of her own. She confirmed the theory that Louis is always changing, but she believes that if he had to be one particular person, it would be Rose Dubois ’23. However, she also reported that Louis could be a teacher stating that “deep down, Louis the Lion embodies Ms. Canfield. He’s very energetic, sarcastic and especially wise.” At the end of the day, she feels that Louis is an energetic mascot with a sensitive soul and a great love for Louisville.

It has been all theories up until here but sophomore Kelsey Phillips has some specific names for us to hear:

“I’ve heard of many different people wearing the suit. I’ve heard that Skylar Green ’25 has worn the suit.”

Just as there have been popular beliefs of Rose Dubois ’23 being the student behind our mascot, Kelsey shares that she has also heard rumors of senior Sophia Derrig-Palumbo taking on the role of Louis as well. Not to mention how there are rumors of Louisville parents wearing the suit, too.

Maybe Louis’s true identity is meant to remain a mystery, but now we know that there are plenty of people just as curious as the rest of us. After all, the teacher theory is on the rise as Charlotte Foti ’24 believes it could be Mr. Batch.

How many more people could it be?