The University of California, Santa Cruz has the Banana Slug, Stanford has the Stanford Tree and the Rhode Island School of Design has Scrotie, a phallus. But here at Hopkins, we have our own exciting and special mascot: the Blue Jay.
The mascot plays an essential role for every university. It is the image of spirit, the energy that fuels the crowds at sports games and in general, the representative of the college.
However, it is the people inside the suit who have been overlooked, the people who give the Jay life.
Every year at Hopkins, various students undertake the role of suiting up and embracing the persona of the Blue Jay.
The News-Letter had the chance to sit down with three students, sophomore Isaac Mears, sophomore Polly Berman and senior Greg Konar, who have all had the opportunity to spread the Blue Jay’s wings. Each one gave their own specific insights about what it is like to be under the mask.
All three students decided to participate because of a passion for the University’s athletics and spirit.
Konar discussed how he participates heavily in the athletic department, primarily by commentating for sports games and generally helping in any possible way.
Mears, a member of the cross-country team, expressed that he loves attending sports events.
Berman talked about how being the mascot allowed her to fulfill one of her dreams since high school.
Mears has suited up as the Jay once, during the homecoming lacrosse game last spring.
“Whenever someone thinks of a mascot, they think of somebody always having fun. I was just excited,” he said. “It was just sort of going out and having a lot of energy at a lacrosse game, which I usually do anyway.”
He talked about how special the experience was to him.
“Walking out onto the field with the President, alumni and everyone else. I looked over and saw myself being filmed on the scoreboard, thinking this is the closest I’ll ever be to being famous, especially considering that it’s D-I athletics,” Mears said. “A lot more people wanted to take pictures with me than I expected.”
Konar had a similarly memorable experience when he was in the suit for Spring Fair in 2015 during his freshman year.
“It was definitely an experience that marked my freshman year,” he said. “It is something that I will always remember from that year.”
Konar said that interacting with fans was particularly rewarding.
“Spring Fair in itself is something special, but the fact that I can say that I was the mascot, that I was Jay... and to have been able to interact with fans as Jay really made for a memorable first year,” Konar said.
All three students addressed how they felt a special sense of freedom in identifying themselves as Jay rather than their normal selves.
“I had the power to do whatever I wanted,” Konar said. “If they don’t know that I’m in the suit, it doesn’t change anything to them, it’s just the Blue Jay having a good time.”
Berman, who has already been in the suit five times, shared Konar’s sentiment.
“It’s really fun, because I can dance and do other stuff that I would never do in public, because nobody knows that it’s me. I’ll mimic the cheerleaders and just do crazy stuff,” Berman said.
Although the three students shared positive experiences as mascots, they pointed out several drawbacks to being in the suits.
For one, they described how the suit could get really hot and sweaty.
“It is extremely hot in there. That is why it’s traditionally difficult to find people during the summer games. If it’s like 80 degrees outside, it’s probably around 100 degrees in the suit,” Konar said.
Berman discussed other difficulties she had with the suit due to her smaller frame.
“The first year was really hard because my head kept falling off. So I had to keep holding my head on. That was the major issue,” she said.
Konar, Berman and Mears admitted that the suit was not very comfortable due to many reasons, ranging from the large frame and extra layers needed underneath the suit to the special, bulky shoes that were required.
They also spoke to younger fans’ reactions to the suit.
“There is a very polarizing response to the suit. [Younger kids] either absolutely adore you or they are frightened by the suit, and I think it might be the teeth,” Konar said.
Berman agreed, acknowledging that some fans might be afraid of the suit.
“One of the benefits of being inside the mascot costume is that I don’t have to look at the mascot. I think that the mascot is kind of scary, especially for young kids,” Berman said.
Even though some may find the teeth frightening, they are an essential part of the suit, providing sight for the student inside, though the mesh can constrict much of the student’s vision.
Berman described how easy it is to become the Hopkins mascot.
“You can literally just say ‘I’m interested in being the mascot,’ and basically you’ll be able to do it,” Berman said.
The next time you see Jay, instead of only considering the outer layer, remember that there is somebody inside, probably sweating and smiling at the same time.
