Being Sebastian
He is a ladies’ man, he is the life of the party, he is the bird that speaks a million words without saying a single word.
He is Sebastian the Ibis.
You have seen him at every sporting event, walking around with undeniable swagger. You have probably stopped for a picture or two and have expressed your love to him. He is the University of Miami’s—and, let’s face it—the entire nation’s most beloved mascot.
However, have you ever stopped to think…who is Sebastian the Ibis?
To wear the feathers and beak is truly an honor at Miami. Recent University of Miami graduates Kavan Kirk, Dylan Weems and Kevin Weaver are just a few who have occupied the suit.
Their stories all start out the same; they arrived to campus in the fall of 2013 for freshman year. Little did they know a white flyer with orange text that said “Tryout to be Sebastian the Ibis” would open the door to an unimaginable college experience.
Admitting to having little to no experience on how to be a mascot, the decision to try out was a chance worth taking.
From the Adidas event at LIV to being in an LG commercial, these guys have been a part of events that no other University of Miami student would have access to.
“Being Sebastian has given me the opportunity to make the most out of bad situations,” Kirk said. “If there was an event that wasn’t going as expected, it was always my job as Sebastian to try to turn it around and make it fun.”
When Brad Paisley came out with the hit single “Country Nation,” the music video featured many college mascots, including Sebastian. Kirk, a Florida native and country music enthusiast, had the chance to perform on tour with Paisley in West Palm. He admits that it is one of his favorite memories inside the suit.
“Being on stage with Brad Paisley is not something I thought I could ever accomplish in my lifetime,” Kirk said.
With the perks come challenges, as being an icon is not easy.
“It can be hard to stay calm in intense situations like being caught in a crowd,” Weems said. “Half the time you can’t see what is around you and then you have people pulling and tugging on you and you just have to stay calm and collected and it really isn’t easy.”
The three Ibises all agreed on the harsh conditions inside the suit. The heat and humidity they feel inside, on top of the blaring Miami sun, is no joke. Keeping hydrated throughout their events and making sure they get a few minutes to relax is crucial to getting though a game.
“It is like running in a sauna,” Weems said. “The suit raises the outside temperature by 40 degrees and keeps all the humidity in.”
Regardless of the heat, nothing is more satisfying than being able to entertain and perform the spell out in front of a crowd of thousands.
“I get chills every time I do the spell-out,” Weems said. “Knowing that you’ve got a packed house to yell C-A-N-E-S with you is truly satisfying.”
Becoming Sebastian the Ibis means becoming a different person.
“You have to act like a celebrity and you approach everything differently,” Weaver said.
Weaver takes with him confidence and enhanced public speaking skills. As an Orientation Program leader, he was able to address 5,000 people without fear. Having performed in front of large crowds as Sebastian, he has improved his ability to be comfortable with himself outside of the suit and has carried that attribute throughout his daily life.
Alejandro Rengifo, whom they affectionately like to call dad, has overseen the mascot program for three years now. He concedes that these three outgoing seniors were excellent and each bird contributes something to the program. They are also responsible for teaching the next generation of mascots.
As their coordinator, Rengifo was able to challenge and watch his team grow up in the process.
Weaver’s leadership and passion for the program was evidently what made him such a great Sebastian.
“He would meet with me to work on enhancing the experience of being a Sebastian and creating a true sense of camaraderie between the guys,” Rengifo said.
Kirk was the more creative of the flock, coming up with new kooky ideas to entertain the crowd and the kids. He was also in charge of Sebastian’s Instagram account.
“Kavan deserves all the credit for the Instagram posts,” Rengifo said. “His witty captions and artsy photos top anything I could’ve done. He was always up-to-date with the trends.”
Like any well-oiled machine, there is a catalyst and Weems assumed that role as the responsible bird. He excelled at keeping his fellow mascots on time and holding them accountable.
“You can always count on Dylan to be on top of everything,” Rengifo said. “If you ever gave him a longer project or event he was always a team player too.”
Non-verbal communication is a skill not many people can say they have mastered. His ability to animate human characteristics while in suit are what make Sebastian come to life.
“It took me a while to get used to using my hands and expressing myself without being able to speak,” Weems said, “It is honestly a more useful tool than you would think.”
On behalf of Sebastian, Dylan would like to apologize to any fan he has ever avoided or ran away from.
“If I didn’t take a picture with you, I am truly sorry. I was probably trying to get to a different area for promotional reasons,” Weems said.
Sebastian appreciates his fans as they are the ones that make his job a lot more fun.
Very few people can say they were Sebastian the Ibis. A tradition that has developed over the years is the big reveal on graduation day, as the mascots walk across the stage in their big, yellow Ibis feet and jersey.
“That is one of my favorite memories as Sebastian,” Weems said. “I got to do the C-A-N-E-S spell-out in front of my graduating class. I had so much adrenalin and it was just awesome.”
Once a flock, always a flock.
The three graduates are on their way to pursuing the next chapter of their lives, but they take with them a bond, a lifetime experience and endless memories of being the University of Miami’s Sebastian the Ibis.
