By Alyssa Askeland

AHS senior, Dillon Linn, has shown school spirit at many home games.

“I started wearing the Trojan costume at the start of the basketball season,” says Linn. “I talked to Mrs. McKay to see if I could borrow it for the games, since nobody was wearing it.”

Linn’s main goal is to spread school spirit. “I think the costume has helped a lot. Not only with the student section, but with the adults and younger kids, too.” Linn mentioned that a lot of spectators have come up and asked for a picture with him. “I feel like it is an honor and a privilege. Not only because of younger kids looking up to what I’m doing, but because I get to show school spirit and pump up the crowd.”

Senior Dan Kay thinks, “It’s great that he wants to be the mascot. It’s pretty cool.”

However, Kay wishes Linn would try to rally up the crowd.

“He doesn’t really seem to do anything,” agrees Sophomore Hannah Jespersen. “He just wears the costume and stands in the student section.”

One question remains, where did the costume come from? According to AHS English teacher Allison Berryhill, her daughter and AHS Alumni Palmer Hoegh made the costume with her grandmother. “When Palmer was a senior, she checked online to buy one, but nothing looked right or was in the price range.” Palmer and her grandmother eventually looked up what a Trojan looked like and designed the outfit.

“I was tickled to see Dillon dressed in the costume the first night he wore it. My mother-in-law and Palmer where in the stands and we thought it was pretty cool.” Berryhill also commented on the costume itself. “I love the helmet, it is realistic, but very heavy.” She also likes that Linn wears a yellow morphsuit underneath the costume, but wishes he wouldn’t wear the shorts with it.

“I think it is a neat and potential way to spread school spirit, [and] he is perfect for the roll, it takes someone who is a bit of an actor,” exclaimed Berryhill.

The Trojan costume had not been worn since Ali Bonny graduated in 2010. But thanks to Dillon Linn, the costume has been taken out of the closet and dusted off to spread school spirit throughout the gym.