Brutus Buckeye

I teach courses in English and Disability Studies at The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. When I travel and people ask me what I do I almost always tell the truth. And 90 per cent of these people respond: "Oh, Ohio State! Good football team!" I'm certain that professors at Notre Dame, Michigan, Penn State, USC, and other legendary football powerhouses must also receive the same response. What makes Ohio State different is our team's mascot: "Brutus Buckeye". Brutus is a humanoid nut. That is, he's literally got a  immense buckeye nut for a head. They've painted an anthropomorphic smiley face on him. But his nut head is so big that the student wearing the costume can't possibly fit through a door. The joke is that the buckeye is a poisonous nut. So Brutus is both cuddly and dangerous. I've grown quite fond of Brutus since coming here to teach. What's not to like about a big happy nut who is a little toxic? He is entirely representative of his village and far more honest than some dancing chicken. .