The Don: A past and present look at the Aragon mascot
“The emphasis [of Aragon] has always been on intellectual and academic growth, discovery, invention and reinvention. We never stopped long enough from these endeavors to cultivate and maintain tradition, reach out to alumni and honor our history,” says former Aragon counselor Sue Barizon.
Though the diverse student body has never stopped exploring and discovering, one element of Aragon’s identity has never changed. The Don.
In 1961, the Don was named the official mascot of Aragon High School. As the symbol of Aragon, the main responsibility of the Don is to inspire and instill school spirit in not only the player, but also the fans in the stands.
Just about everyone at Aragon has seen the Don either at rallies or home games. Students can often see the Don performing routines with the cheerleaders or just energizing the crowd during a rally or home sporting event.
Senior Joel Vasquez was chosen to be the Don because of his tireless enthusiasm.
“I dress up in red and black all the time. I just kept saying go ladies, go girls, go guys! You guys can do it,” says Vasquez.
Vasquez proved he has “pride in school,” as Assistant Principal Joe Mahood comments, saying that the Don “gives a presence and gives pride [to the school].”
“I represent the school at the home games and rallies,” says Vasquez. Representation is crucial for the mascot. Their performance in front of the crowd reflects both the school and the team.
One of the reasons Vasquez got the job as the Don was that he was an excellent dancer. “I didn’t make [the dance team] for my junior year” says Vasquez, “I wanted to make it this year for sure so I started learning to break-dance.” Vasquez can certainly not be accused of having stage fright. “It feels good [performing out here in front of everyone],” he says. “You have to have a lot of self confidence, self esteem.”
As is tradition Vasquez will be replaced at the going away rally later next year. However when Vasquez graduates he plans on carrying the tradition of performing as the school mascot. Specifically, Vasquez wants to be the mascot at the University of San Francisco, whose mascot is also the don.
