TURNING ON THE CHARM for campus fans in 1986 is Alice the Bearcat, who cheered for UC in her own way, from the mid-'80s to late '90s. An Arctictis binturong, Alice lived at the Cincinnati Zoo and was a regular attraction at UC's home football and basketball games for 13 years.

UC Magazine readers may remember that Alice missed a particular Penn State football game because the opposing team complained about insurance liability and banned her. Alice watched that game on television with the guys at the Beta Theta Pi fraternity house.

Mike Dulaney, holding Alice, was her keeper and friend, ever since he carried the tiny animal home from the Philadelphia Zoo when she was three weeks old. Besides hanging out with her fraternity brothers, Alice met a number of celebrities in her time, including Dave Letterman, Johnny Carson, Prince Charles and Newt Gingrich. The zoo's current media relations manager, Chad Yelton, regretfully reports that Alice passed away in December 2003.

Links:

Read a letter to the editor about Alice

On Campus Yesterday archive