 |
|
A legendary Appalachian mascot Yosef: past, present
and future
|
by Jana Nordstrand
Staff Writer |
It was a dark and stormy afternoon at Appalachian State University.
No, not stormy, but probably snowy. Editor James Storie, associate
editor Elizabeth South and freshman Lloyd Isaacs were leaning over
the nearly-completed 1942 edition of The Rhododendron with one problem.
The glossy pages of the yearbook were balanced — down to every
page, corner and crease — except for one spot. There, gleaming
on the last page of the freshman class, was a blank white space.
It was perfect in measurement for one last picture, but what would
fill the spot?
Bill Mitchell of Observer Publishing Company stood alongside
the three in equal puzzlement, but responded to Isaacs with an answer
that would go down in Appalachian State history.
“Why don’t you just put a picture of yourself?”
Isaacs said this was impossible because he was already pictured
in the yearbook, but this left him with a thought. From a simple
sketch, a blurb of artwork, Dan’l Boone Yoseff appeared.
Dan’l Boone Yoseff, later changed to Yosef, not only filled
that blank white space in the yearbook; he filled the spot of what
would become Appalachian State’s most famous figure. From the
slang of “yourself,” he became the mascot that represents
the university’s past, present and future.
In October 1949, John Geffrich, a 48-year-old World War II veteran,
became one of the originals to dress up as Yosef. When Geffrich
first began making appearances around campus as Yosef, he played
the part of a stereotypical mountain man. He grew a long beard,
wore bib overalls, a straw hat, shoved a pipe in his mouth and would
go shoeless.
“I think Yosef is the perfect mascot to depict Appalachian
State,” Ruth N. Smith, a senior communication disorders major,
said.
Over the years, Yosef has been spruced up a bit. Trading in
the long beard for a flimsy top-heavy head, Yosef cannot be missed
around campus when he makes those token appearances in Welbourne
cafeteria. His famous head has been traded in several times, keeping
the modest mountain man suitable for the changing times and in competition
with opposing mascots.
“After the Auburn game in 2000 we came back and decided
Yosef needed to be updated,” Gerald C.Adams, director of the
Yosef Club, said.
Adams has such a love for Appalachian State and the role that
Yosef plays at Appalachian that Yosef even made a guest appearance
at Adams’ “Black and Gold” wedding in 1997.
Perhaps Yosef’s greatest imprint in Appalachian State’s
history would be what he actually did put in print in the 1946-1949
editions of The Appalachian. Sporadically, Shady Lane, a writer
for 1946-1949 The Appalachian, turned his column “The Shady
Lane,” into the mountaineer slang of Yosef in a column called,
“Musings of a Mountaineer.”
Yosef babbled on about the town, the students and the crazy
happenings of a true mountaineer man always signing it, “Be
seein’ of ya, YOSEF.”
Aside from his role on the football field, Yosef has become
a major symbol around campus. He even graced the front of t-shirts,
proclaiming “Protect Yosef,” after Appalachian State installed
condom machines in the residence halls.
Of course, other stories have emerged and caused debate as to
what the true history of Yosef really is. Some say he is a representation
of the locals and the mountain men that embody the community. Others
say that he is the face inspired by the silhouette of Grandfather
Mountain. Some also say the co-founder of the school, Dr. B.B. Dougherty,
created Yosef. However, what you’ve read is the real story,
the story behind the mask of the mountain man who never speaks,
and the students that are never allowed to say who they are when
portraying Yosef.
Out of the four people who conjured up Yosef on that afternoon,
Elizabeth South married James Storie the summer of 1942 and they
remained Boone locals. Elizabeth still carries the history of Yosef
as one of those present on the day that changed Appalachian State. |
|
| Yosef Yodelin’ |
|
As printed in an issue from 1947
Lord, love me if’n it ain’t downright
amazin’ how time slips along on a feller these days. Seems
as how it was only a couple days ago thse younguns wuz lammin’
these here hill like the preacher runnin from the bear, some headin’
for a soft bed and home cookin’; some taklin’ summer
jobs for this year’s schoolin’ and others skedadadlin’
off to some beach in them scarcely nuthin’ swimmin’
soots. Now here tis fall of the year again and the hull kit and
caboodle of them is wanderin’ in like so many lost pups -
plus a hull passel of new folks. Blamed if I know what we’re
gonna do with all of them. What makes everything still wusser
is the fack that a buncha these here Gee Eyes done when out and
got hitched without sayin’ tee turkey to nobody. Fore long
they’ll be a gang of little uns awantin’ to see their
pappy’s report cards.
Lotta the students come back a expectin’ to see some
new buildins agoin’ up but i spect they wuz a mite diapinted.
T’aint that the college ain’t awantin’ to do some
spreadin’ out and git shet of some that money what the legislachure
done give ‘em/ Seems as how they wuz a coupla strings ahangin’
on to that appropreeashun, howsomeever, and they ain’t nobody
gonna do no buildin’ until prices git off’n the mountain
peaks. Personal, I figger if’n we got along thhis fer on
what we got now they in’t no reason why we can’t make
out just a leetle mite longer. Things is bound to come down to
somethin’ like normal some day. In the meentime folks in
teh administrayshun is doin’ mighty well in fixin’ things
up to take keer of the stewdents this fall. Fust of all , they’s
alreddy a new floor in the caffateeria, likewise one of them new-fangled
dishwashers and they’s all sorts of goin on downstairs. Seems
how the jimnashun is also agittin’ a goin’ over- showers
fixed up, equipment room cleaned up and sleepin’ places for
visitin teams brung out in good shape. Upstairs the bleachers
is getting’ patched up and painted and I hear tell they’s
a thousand-seat new set acomin’ in by October 10.
They’s now a new back fence to the football playin’
field and more dad-blamed lectric lights strung up on them black
posts than I ever seed in one place afore. Fust time I woke up
in the middle of hte night and saw them things ablazin’ I
swore and be dad-blamed that the hull dang school and haff Wataugee
count was on fire. I even heered Farr Cheef Twin Cottrell done
called out the town bucket brigade to do a leetle dampenin’.
That feller shore has seed a lotta burin’ in his time, I
reckon. Only last week I heer he senta message to ex-Farr Chief
Josuff Crawford sayin’ hte hull blamed Atlantick Oshun was
on farr and what wuz he gonna do. I still ain’t heerd what
happened after that, but one of the other visitin’ farrmen
done come back sayin’ a meermade done run off with his store
teeth. Somethin’ smells sorta fishy to me. Speakin’
of Twin, I here tell as how him a Rawlee is the reel reesoan school
is late agittin’ started this September. Seems they got all
het up chasin one of them balls with a wooden club and forgot
all about gettin’ books and paper out to the swewdents. Twernt
fer the fack that Howard got mad at this Hamby feller and broke
his club over his head I spect things would still be right dull
down around the college.
Lotsa doins over to the Wimmen’s jimnashum tonight, I
here tell. From all I gather I reckon everybody and his brother
is gonna let his hair down and do some yellin’ and kickin’
up their heels. Mought do a sight of goodto sort of git in a leetle
practice on them feetball yells, connipshuns and what not.
Like mighty well to give a hearty dowdy do to brother Duggins
and hope as how he does right well agin’ one and all. Plumb
good to see that Broome boy back up in these parts agin’
as well as Jim Malcombe and that other feller what goes by a Republican
name. Betcha they’ll have some mighty sancteemoneeous Quakers
acussin’ come Saterdee.
Be seein’ of ye.
YOSEF
|
|
 |
 |
