“Eye of the Panther": Pemi the Panther’s Autobiographical Magnum Opus

Everyone at Plymouth State is familiar with the public figure known as Pemi the Panther, but does anybody really know Pemi? Fortunately for the rest of us, Pemi’s self-penned screenplay will have its first showing in the Silver Center this month, providing insight to aspects of Pemi’s life that have been hidden from the public eye for years. It naturally begins in Pemi’s formative years with snippets of interviews with Pemi’s parents, Randall and Denise. Pemi leaves the claw early in their life, venturing off to pursue their dream of becoming the mascot for a mediocre state university.

Pemi practiced their art by starting off as an entertainer for birthday parties and small corporate functions, but that quickly took a turn for the worse. One of the major details the film delves into is how Pemi picked up a casual LSD habit, with a subsequent stint in rehab. Determined to get back on track, Pemi headed back into the entertainment world, competing on “America’s Next Top Mascot” and earning third place that year. This exposure got Pemi into the limelight, and landed Pemi the gig as the mascot for Plymouth State University, replacing Orville the Otter, who was fired due to being nowhere near perky enough.

The film continues by chronicling the trial and tribulations that helped Pemi create the PSU-approved character we all know and love today. The plot picks up when Keene State invades from the west, threatening Pemi’s earned homeland. This segues into a montage of how Pemi successfully defended Plymouth from wave after wave of raptors and seagulls lead by Keene State’s Hootie the Owl. Pemi resumed mascot duties after the invasion, acting as the mascot Plymouth needed while rebuilding the town.

The film, while penned by Pemi himself, is a touching reminder of those in our lives that provide both moments of laughter and still act as the leaders we need. Screenings begin in the Silver Center later this month on the 33^rd.