This month, Arcata High School adopted a refugee tiger from the mountain forests of eastern Russia. At a recent meeting, the school admin decided that it was time to invest in a new tiger mascot costume for sporting events and school rallies, and while browsing on Facebook Marketplace, they came across a live tiger and thought it would be the perfect opportunity to change things up. The tiger arrived on the 1st of June and has since been kept in an undisclosed location on school grounds.
Possible names have been tossed around, with the top choices being narrowed down to Tony, Hobbes, and Tigger. If students have other name suggestions, they are welcome to submit their ideas to the admin. Many people don’t realize how expensive it is to care for a full-grown tiger. Expenses include the costs for food and a permanent living space. Because of this, student concerns have risen.
While being used as the school mascot is the main purpose for the new tiger, some students have expressed concern about other possibilities.
“I overheard the staff saying that the tiger would roam around the school during class,” a concerned student voiced. “If it caught you out of class skipping for the first time, it would escort you back to class. If there was a second offense, then they would feed you to it.”
Alternative purposes for the tiger have been a topic of discussion recently. It’s rumored that over the summer, there will be tiger training classes to ensure that there will be no incidents in the 2025-26 school year.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if the attendance policy gets changed again next year, this time with the tiger being involved,” junior Jennifer Studenton said. “I’m not falling for this tiger attendance propaganda.”
Will this tiger be used for more than just a mascot? Will Arcata High’s attendance policy change once again, this time having even more serious consequences?
