Stanford tree mascot fired for alleged basketball game drunkenness

ap on Bakersfield Californian ^ | 2/16/06

[NormsRevenge]

STANFORD, Calif. (AP) - A rowdy Stanford University mascot was fired after being discovered drunk during a basketball game, university officials said.

Fifth-year senior Erin Lashnits, who dresses as a tree for the university's irreverent band, was stripped of her duties last week after her blood-alcohol level was measured at 0.157 during a men's basketball game at the University of California, Berkeley. For the purposes of driving a vehicle in California, legally drunk is .08. Stanford went on to lose the Feb. 9 game 65-62.

The university had previously placed the band on "alcohol suspension," which requires a zero-tolerance policy toward drunkenness, said band spokesman Sam Urmy. Lashnits was fired to avoid disciplinary penalties from the athletic department, Urmy said.

"We don't want to risk our core mission of rocking out and bringing funk to the funkless," Urmy said.

[NormsRevenge]

rowdy Stanford University mascot ... henceforth to be known as "Stump" or Stumpy by his closest friends.

[Tijeras_Slim]

ISH and new tagline ping

[admiralsn]

What, did he pee on a dog?

[Tijeras_Slim]

Fifth-year senior

I see a causal connection.

[r9etb]

Apparently she was also on the swimming/diving team.

[r9etb]

In fact, she's quite an accomplished young lady, and not just in drinking....

[Potowmack]

Believe it or not, guys who get to be the tree mascot at Stanford footbal games get an incredible amount of action. It's an incredibly goofy mascot and one of the lamest costumes for one of the lamest schools out there (Go SC!) and yet there are tree groupies.

Go figure.

[NormsRevenge]

tree groupies..

wellll..shiver me timbers .. sign me up

I'd like to be a 'Norway pine' in my next life ;-)

[Potowmack]

tree groupies.. wellll..shiver me timbers .. sign me up

A girl generally will only be a Tree groupie once. The slivers are a real pain.

[Defiant]

That's good wood.

[llevrok]

I pine for a girl like that

I cedar pun and raise you one.

[Cagey]

[NormsRevenge]

Tree babe was on a local station this morning.

Sounds like she's a fun gal to go out with.

[presidio9]