Cappy has become a tradition at the various sporting events hosted on campus.
While the call to change the mascot has not ceased, the students who take on the role as Cappy did not respond to questions regarding changing the potentially offensive mascot.
But who’s behind the mask? Only a few people actually know, and maybe that makes the allure of Cappy all the more special.
So how does one even begin to prepare to go out and rally the crowd as Cappy? The anonymous face behind the mask shares their secret.
“I am not a big ritual person, but sometimes I like to jump around before a game [or] appearance, and I always listen to music that gets me pumped up before hand,” they said.
With the responsibility of getting the fans excited and cheering, the student behind the mask knows it’s a heavy load weighing on their shoulders.
“I would compare it to the feeling of knowing you have to mow the lawn, because sometimes it seems like such a big responsibility that you don’t want to do it, but sometimes you just can’t wait to do it,” they added.
While Cappy appears at various home games from soccer to football, the face behind the mask does have a preference when it comes to what sport Cappy cheers at.
“I would say basketball, since at the football games the crowd is usually very focused on the game and doesn’t notice a small mascot like Cappy, but at basketball games the energy is a lot more electrifying and I can interact with the crowd a lot easier,” they said.
The importance of Cappy at Crusader home games extends beyond all the pep and cheering. Sophomore cheerleader, Caroline Crawford, feels a close connection with Cappy and knows the fans and players do as well.
“A mascot is your humor, your support, your excitement; but to me, he’s my best friend. This team would not be the same without him,” Crawford noted
As Capital’s official mascot, Cappy remains an integral part of the cheerleading program and the overall atmosphere created at the different sporting games and community events.
