When we last left off on my excellent, adventure-filled day, I was suckling my old friend, Lenny Lamb.
But so much more happened.
Ma said, “Let’s go, buddy! The students from Bryant Zhuhai want to meet you!” Yes, if you haven’t heard, Bryant University has a campus in Zhuhai, China!
No, YOU’RE silly, Ma!
So we met the first group, and they were all like, “OOOOH!”
Note my tie… I like to look my best.
Okay, maybe that one girl didn’t look so happy, but she is afraid of dogs, she said. đ
Look at this group in their Bulldog gear! đđ
In between, I ran into some Volleyball Bulldogs.
Go, Bulldogs!
I want to chomp mini-Tupper!
I don’t know what I was looking at, TBH…
I MET SO MANY FUN PEOPLE! But wait… there’s more. Watch for it tomorrow. (To be continued…)
OMD! It’s Jess Kline ’14. And she’s so happy to see me!
This article originally appeared in the October 29, 2015, issue of The Archway, Bryant’s student newspaper.
Good old October. The leaves begin to turn vivid reds, oranges, and yellows. Or so they say. I mean, dogs arenât really colorblind in the way youâve heard we are. We donât see as many colors as humans, but we can see them. So I see browns and yellows instead of red, orange, and yellow. Learn something new every day, donât you, humans? #TheMoreYouKnow
Besides the fact that itâs pretty, there are a few really pawsome things about October. Well, this list refers to THIS October.
I present to you âTupperâs Top Five Favorite Reasons to Love Octoberâ:
LEAVES. They get really pretty. Then, the best part, they fall down. Itâs so fun to sniff under each one of them, attack the rake when Maâs trying to put them in a pile, and then run through the pile until itâs all spread out again.
HALLOWEENIE. In October, all the little boys and girls dress up like their favorite superheroes and go door to door, collecting hot dogs. I donât enjoy wearing costumes, but if I got a bag full of hot dogs, Iâd consider it. As long as I didnât have to walk around the neighborhood. OhâŠ..Ma says itâs just âHalloween,â and they get chocolateâŠ.which I canât have on account of it being poisonous to dogs. I miss all the good stuff!
REUNION @ HOMECOMING. WOOHOOO! A lot of my old friends come back for Alumni Weekend. And they scratch my bum and hug me and tell me how much they miss seeing me. Sigh. Itâs tough when the kids grow up and leave the nest.
PARENTS & FAMILY WEEKEND. Every year, the parents seem more excited to see me. Apparently, they follow me on Facebook and Twitter and they already know ALL about me. They kiss me and take my picture and tell me how handsome I amâŠ.who doesnât love all that for 4-5 hours straight?
And my number one reason to love October is:
TAILGATING. Food on the grill. Hot dogs, hamburgers, chicken, sausagesâŠoh my! And everyone wants to feed me. Now if I could just get Ma to let me have some of that food. Quick, someone distract her!
So there you have it. Tupperâs Top Five Favorite Reasons to Love October. Donât forget â Iâm on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Vine. Get at me! Iâll see you soon. âTil next timeâŠWOOF!
This post originally appeared as a Tupper’s Tidbits column in the September 23, 2015, issue of The Archway, Bryant’s student newspaper.
Iâm not going to lie â summer is, like, the WORST time of year for me. I know, I know: You humans LOVE summer. Hot weather, beer, pools, vacations â all the staples of well-enjoyed human summer.
But put yourselves in my paws for a few minutes. Hot weather can kill me in 5-10 minutes because of my smushed-in face. We dogs cool off by panting, but if we have no snouts, we have less ability to cool off. We sweat through the pads of our feetâŠwhich are on pavementâŠwhich boasts temperatures upwards of 125°F in the summer. Beer? Ma wonât share. Something about it being toxic for dogs. Thatâs what she SAYS, anyway.
THIS is how I feel about pools.
Pools? Fuhgeddaboudit! Bulldogs sink like stones. We canât swim. Too much â ahem â MUSCLE densely packed. Most of us. Some bulldogs can. I donât like water at all though. Wonât even go in the kiddie pool Ma got for me. Vacation? Try again. Ma says she can afford bulldogs or she can afford vacations, but she canât afford both. So we stay home. Thatâs even worse for me!
Anyway, even though summer isnât my favorite season, I enjoyed a few things this year. I present to you âTupperâs Top Five Favorite Summer 2015 Eventsâ:
DAD HAD SURGERY. Now I know what youâre thinking: Tup, thatâs terrible! But hear me out…he needed those new kneesâŠand I got to spend a few weeks with the Momma because she was lonely. AND THEN SHE TOOK ME TO WORK EVERY DAY! So much fun.
BOXES. A lot of stuff gets delivered to Academic Records in the summer and that means I get to shred the boxes they came inâŠI HAVE CONQUERED CARDBOARD!
CAMPUS CONSTRUCTION. Yeah, sure, we had to take a lot of detours to get to the office, but more construction equals more construction workers equals more people to pet me because Iâm so awesome.
HOME MAINTENANCE. Ma had a few things done around the house. Of course, they all fell in love with me. And asked for me so they could pet me. Maâs favorite was when the pellet stove cleaner came and ran his industrial vacuum for two straight hoursâŠand I angrily barked at it for the full two hours. Fun!
And my number one favorite event this summer was:
PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT PROGRAM STUDENTS. Folks, this masterâs degree program is challenging. They needed me all summer for pet therapy. Which I gladly provided. Iâve never felt so loved over the summer! So glad Bryant started this PA program!
So there you have it. Tupperâs Top Five Favorite Summer 2015 Events. Donât forget â Iâm on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Vine. Get at me! Iâll see you soon. âTil next timeâŠWOOF!
It should come as no surprise to any of you – I LOVE BEING BRYANT’S MASCOT!
What’s not to love? Adoration. Scratches. Treats. Scratches. Bacon. Scratches. Hot dogs…
When you’re “Big Dog On Campus,” it’s really challenging to go home, where your family may not keep you up on that pedestal that your students, faculty, and staff have had you on all day. In fact, I’m treated like ALL THE OTHER DOGS in the house! Can you believe that? Me? Mascot royalty!
Understandably, I’m often reluctant to leave campus. Okay, not just “often.” I’m ALWAYS reluctant to leave campus. Here are my three stages at the end of the work day:
1) No. No, I will not go there, no, I will not obey.
This is a total shock to me. How could you ask me to leave?
2) HA HA! I’m under the desk…you can’t make me move.
You’re an old human and incapable of moving my strong bulldog body.
3) Oh, SHOOT! I forget how strong you are, Momma T. And smart, to put me in this rolling chair and save yourself the aggravation of getting me to move three steps at a time.
They see me rollin’, they hatin’…. Nice to see you finally recognize my royal stature. Walking is for plebes.
You may have seen my recent post that I received the 2015 Bryant University Spirit Award. Or, rather, my moms did.
âThe Spirit Award is presented to a team that enhances the quality of life at Bryant by preserving, promoting, and carrying out positive and quantifiable values and traits. They go above and beyond what’s expected in serving Bryant University.â
They got the award for taking care of me because I am an integral part of the Bryant community now! And they do it as volunteers â they donât get paid to do soâŠthey just love me because Iâm family. I remember May 2010 like it was yesterdayâŠI was a little, 20-lb nugget being introduced during Commencement and carried across the stage to receive my degree in âCharacter and Obedience,â honoris causa (that means âhonorary degree!â)
It took a couple of years before people knew about me. But thank Dog for social media!
I couldnât have received this Spirit Award without my Uncle Ron and Auntie Kati Machtley, who had the vision to understand that a college needs a proper, live mascot. They searched until they found my moms â Claire and Tina Senecal, mother and daughter and long-time Bryant employees â who agreed to give me a home (or two).
Thank you to those who work in Academic Records for helping to watch me, entertain me, scratch me, and fetch me when students come in the office to get pet therapy before class or after tough exams. And thanks to those in University Relations who scratch my bum when I come in for a visit.
Auntie Kristin helping the tailor with my fitting
Special thanks go out to my Auntie Kristin and Uncle âDPâ Penta. When she first started working here, Auntie Kristin fell in love with my squishy face. Over the years, the Pentas have supported me in many ways. They donated my stroller to me, they watch me when Ma has to do something âreal quick,â they asked their tailor to make my official jersey, and Uncle DP built a âthroneâ for me to use in the basketball stands so I donât have to sit on Maâs lap. Sheâs not super comfortable. I know Ma appreciates all theyâve done, too!
And, of course, thank you to the students, alumni, parents, staff, and faculty who find me âirresistabull.â The ones who invite me to their events and appreciate my representing this fabulous university. I’m thankful that you appreciate me and that you understand when I canât attend absolutely everything Iâm invited to (even though Iâd love to be able to go to everything). Gratitude to all my friends on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Vine who have no connection to Bryant but who continue to support me and share my posts. It means the world to me!
With so many wonderful people here, I’m honored to call Bryant University my home. Woof!
Hanging out on my throne in the stands at the half, waiting for some scratchies.
Hanging out on my throne in the stands at the half, waiting for some scratchies.
This article originally appeared in the March 5 issue of The Archway, Bryant’s student newspaper.
To say that I love basketball is an understatement. Well, if Iâm being completely honest, I love all sports in which a ball is being thrown around and might come tantalizingly close to my jaws.
You may have noticed that I often walk around with some sort of ball in my mouth. If you mentioned that fact to my mom, she might have told you that I refuse to move WITHOUT my ball. Hey, everybodyâs got their âthing,â right? Someone whoâs insecure about their intellect might always talk about gradesâŠsomeone whoâs insecure about looks might post, like, a THOUSAND selfies a day.
Me? I KNOW Iâm smart and beautiful. And charming. And humbleâŠBOL! Some people speculate that I like to suckle on a ball because I was taken from my bulldog ma too soon, but thatâs definitely not the case â I lived with my bulldog mom till I was 16 weeks old. Thatâs twice as long as most puppies! Most of my bulldog friends (I got tons on Twitter, IG, and FB!) like to suckle on blankets or stuffed animals, too.
Anyway, Bryant Basketball isnât ALL about the ball. I present to you âTupperâs Top Five Favorite Things About Bryant Basketballâ:
BASKETBALL. I know I said it isnât ALL about the ball. But itâs a little bit about it! I love to watch the players run up and down the court bouncing it. Itâs mesmerizing. Still waiting for someone to bounce it my way.
DRIBBLING. Glad to know Iâm not the only one who does this. Dribbling, I mean. OhâŠMa says itâs a different kind of dribbling. WaitâŠso Iâm still the only one drooling at the games? Ma says other people might be drooling figuratively for different reasons, but Iâm the only one who does so literally. Thatâs cool. Iâve always been a rebel.
POPCORN. Sometimes, Iâll drop the ball when someone lets their kid carry his or her own popcorn âcuz that stuff goes EVERYWHERE when little kids try to walk and hold onto it at the same time!
MY THRONE. Do you see my throne in the picture? My Uncle DP made that for me. And he brings it to every game I go to so that I have someplace to sit because the benches are too narrow. Hey, my legs are too short to anchor me. Itâs a ruff life being the mascot sometimesâŠBOL! My Uncle DP and Auntie Kristin are awesome. They are not only MY fans â theyâre fans of all Bryant athletics and huge supporters.
And my number one favorite thing about Bryant Basketball is:
PEOPLE. Tons of people and most want one thing: To scratch my bum. I approve.
So there you have it. Tupperâs Top Five Favorite Things About Bryant Basketball. Donât forget â Iâm on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Vine. Get at me! Iâll see you soon. âTil next timeâŠWOOF!
January 21, 2014 was a momentous day, as Butler Blue III from Butler University and I met on the Bryant University Campus to discuss some of the world’s problems. We have some solutions, natch, but we may need to convene again to discuss the apparent bacon shortage in our respective homes.
You can see more photos and commentary about our visit in a special Facebook photo album. You do not have to have a Facebook account to view these photos. Just CLICK HERE!
This piece originally ran in the December 7 issue of The Archway.
You can see the light at the end of the tunnelâŠat this point, youâre hoping itâs not a train coming at you, but the semesterâs almost over! Youâre going to go from 100 mph to 0 in about 5 seconds. Do you have any idea what that can do to a person (or dog)?
Winter break is awesome because itâs a loooong holiday vacation for you. Youâll see family and friends, and sleep in your own bed again. Youâll see your pets that youâve missed, and eat momâs and grandmaâs home cooking. And then, 10 days later, youâll be wishing you were back at Bryant. Trust me, I know these thingsâŠIâm a mascot!
Trust me, I’m a mascot.
But youâre going to have five or six whole weeks off! What will you do? I can tell you from my personal knowledge bank that there are things you can do to make your time off even better. âBetter,â you say, âhow so?â I present to you: Tupperâs Top Five Things to Do Over Winter Break:
Stop staring at me!
5. TAKE NAPS! Did you know that young humans such as yourselves need about 9 hours of sleep each night (www.sleepfoundation.org)? Get on that! Youâve got so much work that you stay up all night and walk around like Monster-swilling zombies! Get your sleepâŠthatâs an order! I know Iâm no good unless I get my 22 hours each day! đ
4. VISIT YOUR DOGTOR! Health Services does a great job, but they donât know YOU. Not like your regular dogtor does! My dogtor knows when the slightest thing is off about me. Visit your physician, say âhi,â and have him/her do a wellness check.
3. CHEW A BONE! When I get bored, I get into trouble. My chew toys are what my Momma calls âproductive activityâ because they help my dental and mental health. You need to make sure that youâre doing something productive during break; otherwise, re-entry in January is going to kill you! Especially you first-years who will be doing the 72-hour Bryant IDEA Program as part of the Gateway ExperienceâŠitâll be so helpful, but each day will wipe you out â stay in practice!
2. HAVE PLAYDATES! Â It is awesome to be by yourself sometimes to recharge your batteries, but make sure youâre also connecting with humans â IN PERSON! Socialization is important. It teaches you to be more independent and will make you happier and more satisfied with your life.
And the number one thing you must do over winter break is:
1. STAY IN TOUCH WITH ME! Iâm going to be lonelyâŠÂ đŠ Check in with me on my social media accounts. Post pictures of your trips, adventures, and family members! Iâll be thinking about you when youâre gone. Spare a thought to your favorite mascot?
I will just chomp on my WJMF Frisbee until you get back.
So there you have it. Tupperâs Top Five Things to Do Over Winter Break. Donât forget â Iâm on Facebook and Twitter. Get at me! âTil next timeâŠWOOF!
This article originally appeared in the November 15, 2012, issue ofThe Archway.
Less picture-taking, more belly rubbing!
I have been around the block a couple of times nowâŠI know that the third week in November is a special time of year. When it comes to students, theyâre most grateful for time off from school. And the rest of you humans are grateful for time off from work … donât deny it; you know you are!
Well, I donât have to take mid-terms or write papers or give presentations. Nor do I have deadlines and schedules. When I go to campus, itâs all about strutting my stuff and getting scratches for being so darn adorable. I LOVE IT!
One thing we can all agree on, though, is that we may sometimes take things for granted and this is possibly the one time we all take a moment and think about how lucky we are. With Thanksgiving around the corner, I present âTupperâs Top Reasons for Giving Thanksâ:
Bulldog Buggy!
5. I HAVE A âBULLDOG BUGGYâ! Hey, letâs keep it real. The campus is 428 acres. Thatâs a lot of ground to cover. I see you guys moving around campus in your gas-powered buggies. My legs arenât even 1/8th as long as yours!
4. THANKSGIVING LEFTOVERS! Tradition in the Senecal house: All the scraps left on peopleâs plates get redistributed into our doggie dishes. OMNOMNOM! Gravy makes me so happy!
Amaze-balls!
3. MY BALL SUPPLY IS RESTOCKED! You can probably count the number of times that youâve seen me without a ball in my mouth on one hand. Momma calls it my âpuppy pacifier.â Special thanks to Bryantâs Alumni Relations Office and the Student Alumni Association for keeping me swimming in balls⊠đ
2. I AM THE BRYANT MASCOT! Â I canât even imagine being a regular dog now! When I hear applause, I assume itâs for me (isnât it, though?) Our students are the best. They dedicate a lot of time to community service, including about 300 of them recently writing âThank Youâ cards to members of our armed forces overseas this holiday season. I love them!
And the number one reason I give thanks:
1. THE PEOPLE WHO LOVE ME! Whether itâs my Momma reading me a bedtime story, students rubbing my belly and high-fiving me, or (my personal favorite) people who show their love by feeding me, I am fortunate to be surrounded by people who love me. Iâm not the only one, though. So are youâŠI guarantee it!
So there you have it. Tupperâs Top Five Reasons for Giving Thanks. Donât forget â Iâm on Facebook and Twitter. Get at me! âTil next timeâŠWOOF!
In our last post, we left Mini-Tupper on the plane, headed to London, EnglandâŠ
*STRETCH* Oh boy! The parents and Mini-Tupper finally touched down at Heathrow Airport. Thereâs just not enough room on the plane, Mini-Tupper confided to me. Especially because Daddy Del kept taking HIS arm rest!
âWot??? Our hotel is in the middle of Piccadilly CIRCUS??â said MT. âHow are we going to sleep with the elephants and lions and loud music?â Silly Mini-Tup! Piccadilly Circus is like Times Square in NYC. Itâs THE place to be with lots of interesting things to see and places to visit. “Wanna check it out?” asked the parents.
Ahhh! This is the life! Is there room in the suitcase to take this home?
âLater,â he said around a yawn. âI need a relaxing bath and a napâŠis there a spa in this place?â
They had to call the conciergeâŠthere were only two robes in the room initially. It was worth the wait, though, according to MT, because it was âlike being surrounded by a fluffy cloud.â
Hey, I just met you…and this is crazy. But here’s my number…call me, maybe?
After his nap, MT wanted to check a few things out in Piccadilly Circus. As soon as he saw the phone booths, he realized he wanted to check in with Momma T and let her know all was well.
RT @Catsemail: Donât get any ideas about bringing home another Chupacabra Mama! 4 days ago
RT @URMascot: I spent my morning with the family chickens, then I took a nap. It was a very good nap. How is your day going? #mascot https⊠5 days ago