Bradley Bieniak’s alter ego is Leo the Lion.

Bieniak has been portraying the mascot for the last two years. If you’ve seen Leo at an athletic event or dancing at campus events, you have probably seen Bieniak at work.

“Being a mascot is a very interactive experience whether it is with fans at the games or fellow students at events on campus,” he said. “Leo the Lion is a fun and interesting experience for me.

“It is interesting… not being allowed to speak,” Bieniak said. “I need to practice different methods of non-vocal communication [like gestures or stances] to communicate with people while in costume.”

Bieniak said his favorite dance routine is “Rasputin”, a 1978 Euro-disco hit by Boney M., which went viral on TikTok in 2021.

He said that he does the showy routine exclusively to distract opposing basketball teams’ free-throw shooters. 

Bieniak gets a partial scholarship for performing as Leo, but he said that he would play the mascot for free – as he did last year. In fact, he enjoys being a mascot so much that he plays Rusty the Railcat, mascot for the Gary SouthShore Railcats, a minor league baseball team in Gary. Recently, he applied for a mascot internship with the Indianapolis Colts.

Bieniak’s busiest time as Leo is during the athletics season. During the week of Late Night Madness, Bieniak portrayed Leo at the basketball pep rally. 

The performances have attracted some fans.

“Leo the Lion stands out from the rest of the other mascots because he’s the best,” said Mckinzy Rodriguez, a sophomore Communication major. “He is very energetic and has a lot of school spirit. Leo brings the live energy to make any event special.

“Personally, I think a college mascot brings the college to life,” she said. “They bring fun and school spirit into the school.

“I see a lot of people that want to get pictures with him as well,” said Rodriguez. “They can make the event more entertaining with their personalities shining through.”

Leo fan Olivia Stokes-Lopez agrees.

“Leo shows a lot of school spirit… he goes to sports and other school events,” said the sophomore Education major. “Compared to the other college mascots, Leo stands out because he represents pride.

“Lions symbolize strength and power,” she said. “Having Leo is a good approach to encourage a strong sense of responsibility.”