UW-Madison alum RoseAnn Donovan recounts her experience as one of the few women to take the field as Bucky Badger. Donovan describes wowing the judges at her 1981 tryout, quickly disproving anyone that doubted she had the right stuff, and why being Bucky meant something joyful every time she wore the suit.
Copy and Paste the Following Code to Embed this Video:
She’s Bucky!
NARRATOR:Roseanne Donovan has always been the life of the party.
RoseAnn Donovan:My personality is animated.
RoseAnn Donovan:I think if you would ask anyone from back in the day or my current students, everyone would say the same thing. Loud. Energetic, emotional.
NARRATOR:In the fall of 1978, RoseAnn and her over-the-top personality enrolled at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, officially becoming a Bachelor.
RoseAnn Donovan:Did I have any concept of what was to come? I certainly did not.
NARRATOR:RoseAnn pledged a sorority and reveled in Greek social life. Yet she was on the hunt for more adventure.
RoseAnn Donovan:Many of my friends, my sorority sisters, and some of our guy friends were in fraternities and they all happened to be cheerleaders and just talked about how much fun they had and game days and getting to do all kinds of fabulous things.
NARRATOR:But a suggestion from a friend would soon change the course of RoseAnns college life.
RoseAnn Donovan:One of the guys said, well, RoseAnn, why don’t you try out for Bucky? And like Bucky, I can’t travel for Bucky. Bucky said, Guy. He said, no, I don’t think it says anywhere that it has to be a guy. You just have to be tall enough. And I’m like, oh my gosh, I’m gonna do that.
NARRATOR:In the spring of 1981, RoseAnn dug into preparations for the Bucky Badger tryouts.
RoseAnn Donovan:I thought, if I’m going to go for it, I’m going to go for it.
NARRATOR:RoseAnn brought her fighting badger spirit to the audition. And a little something extra.
RoseAnn Donovan:One of the judges like on cue said, well, you know, one of the traditions is that Bucky goes to the opposing side and, you know, picks up one of the cheerleaders. And I just looked at him and said, wait right here. I ran over to the door. I fling the door open. There’s my roommate, Kelly. I hoist her up and run around the room and she’s cheering.
RoseAnn Donovan:Go, Badgers! I think the panel of judges just like what in the world just happened?
NARRATOR:The group of aspiring Buckys waited in the bleachers for the judges’ verdict.
RoseAnn Donovan:You know the drumroll. And they announced the first guy. His name was Mike Mathias, and he had to go. And people were screaming and cheering and all this. And our second Bucky Badger for the 1981-82 season is RoseAnn Palmisano. Dead silence and I just remember, like, walking out, like, what in the world just happened?
NARRATOR:It turns out RoseAnn had just joined an exclusive Badger Club.
RoseAnn Donovan:As far as I know, I am the first woman who has gotten the honor to play a Bucky Badger.
NARRATOR:RoseAnn was soon relishing that honor. As Wisconsin’s furry, big-headed mascot.
RoseAnn Donovan:When you are Bucky, you are truly a celebrity around here. People busted out in our screaming Bucky and that photo op. You know, the little one looking up and wanting an autograph. And just to see the faces light up was really what’s really amazing.
NARRATOR:RoseAnn spent her senior year at UW becoming Bucky for basketball and hockey games and had countless other memorable events.
RoseAnn Donovan:I think my favorite part about being Bucky was that every time I put that suit on, it was going to be a different experience. Whether it was at a game, a big win or a heartbreaking loss, or it was a parade to see kids excited and screaming. It was always something fun and uplifting and just joyful.
NARRATOR:After graduating, RoseAnn’s reign as Bucky came to an end, but she always remained a Badger at heart.
RoseAnn Donovan:When I see Bucky now, I’m like, oh my gosh, I did that. It is kind of hard to believe. Yeah, that was really amazing. That was really amazing.
Passport
Follow Us