Lawrenceville’s Mighty Mascot: Larrie the Bulldog

Before this year, Lawrenceville’s school spirit revolved around the concept of “Big Red,” a slogan that
had no mascot to embody our school. Just recently, Tripp Welbourne H’58 P’21 ’24 and the Athletic Department introduced the student body to Larrie, the small but mighty bulldog and official
mascot representing Lawrenceville. As Larrie makes her way across campus and into School events, many
students have noticed a shift in spirit across the campus. 

Among many, Assistant Head of School for Student Life Blake Eldridge ’96, H’78, ’12, P’25 and Assistant Dean of Students Lindsay Mulhern P’25 ’27 have shown great enthusiasm for Larrie as students observe them walking her around campus to meet fellow Lawrentians. As Eldridge puts it, Larrie is a “topic of conversation that sparks creativity” among students, whether it would be developing a student-made “Larrie tracker app to see where Larrie is on campus” so students can “pull up at any time” or using her for social events.

Both Eldridge and Mulhurn agree that Larrie is a perfect representative of Lawrenceville’s values of loyalty, kindness, and positivity. “There hasn’t been a time where a student has seen Larrie and [not] excited to see
her,” Mulhern remarked, “If someone’s not feeling great during the academic day, being able to see Larrie can make things a little better.” The student body has shared the same sentiment about Larrie’s presence on campus. 

Chris Hu ’26 claimed that “Lawrenceville’s adoption of Larrie as a school mascot has already made a noticeable difference in our school’s spirit. Having a physical mascot to bond around brings us together as a community.” As the school mascot, Larrie brings passion and has made a favorable impression towards new students at Lawrenceville. 

Darshan Chidambaram ’28 reflected that “not every school has a mascot that you can see with your own eyes and pet, but the unique experience of having our school mascot on campus sets us apart,” and thus, Larrie has brought “a ton of excitement to campus.”

In addition to the overall ardor across campus, Nicole Halucka ’26 stated that Larrie’s contribution to team spirit has been “reflected in the fantastic turnout and electric energy at the home [football] opener.” Halucka also felt that Larrie inspired and “tied Lawrenceville together through the halftime dog show,”

Samantha Li ’27 believes that Larrie has raised the School’s spirit enormously with students going “from
cheering mindlessly, to having someone to cheer for.” Aside from being able to pet her, Li also “gets to greet people [she] may not know that well.” With such a big campus and busy schedules, it can be difficult to take
the time and branch out to people outside of one’s class and friend groups. However, Larrie provides a perfect opportunity for students to connect through a common interest of school pride.

When Larrie was asked to comment on how she felt being the face of Lawrenceville, she remained silent and rolled over for a belly rub, to which Eldridge commented that Larrie is a “dog of few words.”

As Lawrentians, students are often encouraged to support one another through both their highs and lows. Whether attending athletics games, supporting dancers at showcases, or simply interacting with students, Lawrenceville has cultivated a community-oriented environment that Larrie has united through her presence on campus. If you see her roaming around, take some time to de-stress and or socialize with the people around campus, or with Larrie!