Student tryouts to become Victor E. Knight – Gannon University’s Knight in shining armor – are coming up Saturday.

We at The Knight applaud any students who want to take on this experience. While we’re happy that Gannon has a mascot – one that gets a scholarship, no less – none of us is willing to step up to the plate.

Especially for a whopping $400 per semester.

It’s great that the mascot is finally getting something for his or her work – this scholarship opportunity was a great idea. But is it really worth all the work for only $400 off the tuition bill?

In the scheme of Gannon’s tuition, it’s not much.

And by the sound of it, Victor E. Knight’s got a pretty hefty schedule – anyone trying out is supposed to be available for, if not all, most home football and basketball games, as well as community and campus events.

Even though there are two scholarships available – meaning there will be at least two mascots on campus next semester – it’s bound to suck up a good chunk of a dedicated student’s time.

We wonder how the number of events expected of the glorious Knight divides into that $400. How much is Victor making at each event?

We probably won’t know the answer until the end of next semester, when we can count how many times the Knight has been spotted at various events.

It takes a lot of energy to be that happy in front of a bunch of people.

It takes even more to do it when you have a bunch of school work that you could be doing instead.

A scholarship that small may not be worth it for many students.

Maybe we’re totally wrong – the commitment could be worth nothing more than the $400 being offered.

But it seems to us that students willing to show enough Gannon pride to dress up like a Knight in front of large crowds deserve a little more.