Mackenzie mascot to be replaced with real lion

The iconic lion mascot has graced the hallways of Mackenzie for as long as any of the reporters from The Flounder can remember. Some say it predates the school itself. But what happens when the costs of maintaining the costume are simply too much for a school that is struggling with overcrowding and budget cuts?

The mascot is a vital part of any high school, and Mackenzie is no exception. Our mascot appears at food days, assemblies, and sporting events. They are known to walk around, give out high fives, and bust a move. But all this comes at a cost, and this cost is paid out by the beloved costume. School mascot costumes are expensive, and when faced with the prospect of having to buy a new costume our school instead decided to go with the cheaper option. To buy a lion.

“I’m not sure if people understand just how expensive these costumes are”, says the TDSB School Mascot Executive. When asked about the costs of feeding the lion their reply was “A 150 kg lion let loose in a high school doesn’t need to be fed\ and that it would “help with hallway congestion”.

The plan is to slowly phase in the lion over the next five years while the mascot costume is still in reasonable shape. The current student working as the school mascot was not thrilled with this idea. The lion could not be reached for comment.