Like clockwork, a post goes up on the Instagram of LSU’s live mascot, Mike the Tiger, about confetti in his habitat during graduation season. Must this happen every year?
I remember seeing Mike’s post about confetti and champagne corks landing in his habitat when I was a freshman. That was in the spring of 2023. It’s the spring of 2025 now — this should’ve been a one-and-done type of post.
I scrolled a little further down on Mike’s Instagram and found that a post has gone up every year since 2021. Every year for the last four years, there’s been a post or two in the spring semester reminding graduates to leave the confetti and corks at home.
I’ve considered many reasons as to why this is a reoccurring event. Maybe people transfer in right before their senior year, so they’v never seen a post like this before. Or maybe people don’t see Mike’s social media posts, whether it be because they’re off social media themselves or just don’t keep up with our tiger’s happenings.
Once again I ask my graduates to celebrate responsibly. When you use confetti and pop champagne near my habitat, it inevitably blows in. Then my caretakers have to pick it up because ingesting it could be harmful. It also litters our beautiful campus. Be good, Tigers.
Mike the Tiger’s Instagram post caption on Sunday, April 20, 2025.
Hopefully the people who still choose to take their confetti and champagne-popping pictures by Mike’s habitat have a really good excuse for it. Can we all just agree to go for a different graduation photo op? Let’s do flower petals instead. Perhaps a bubble machine should be involved?
Seriously, though — Mike ingesting confetti or corks would be awful. Some of you may be thinking it’s a one in a million chance, but it’s easily avoidable entirely if you stop and think about something other than your own personal gain. Your graduation pictures will still slay, even if you don’t get your champagne shot.