The Spire

Caitlin Wiffler ’27

Go Cross Go! Just doesn’t have the Same Ring to it

Hello, my fellow Americans. My name is Iggy, the abandoned Crusader mascot. For those confused, I used to be Holy Cross’s mascot, up until March of 2018. For the past six years, I have been roaming the streets of campus, lost, looking for a new purpose. 

When I was told I was no longer welcome to cheer on the sports teams, I was all, like, Woah. Guys, what happened? All of a sudden, I am exiled to the basement of Kimball. Again, I was all, like, Woah. Guys, this is crazy. So then I am wondering, what do I make of my new life? Who am I, if not Iggy the Crusader? Am I just Iggy now? Whole identity crisis and such. Real dark place I was in. For the first few years of being abandoned, I was really lost. I would see the football players walking around and I would just get so sad. I want to cheer on my guys! This is hard for me to admit, but yes, it was me who kept breaking the Kimball ice cream machine. Apologies to all Kimball Captains…I just could not take seeing all the sports teams relying on the marching band for pep! I wanted to cheer! I wanted to fulfill my purpose! My life was at a standstill. So then I thought to myself, Iggy, you are better than this. It’s time to turn things around. I realized I needed a new purpose. A whole rebrand.

I started with finding a new job. I went to the Admissions Office, hoping to score the position of an admissions greeter. Again, I love to cheer. Unfortunately, I was turned away. They were all, like, Iggy, you were banished, you can’t become a greeter. I was all, like, okay. Next, the Prior Performing Arts Center. Spotlight! Perfect for a mascot, right? Well, much to my dismay, they were not really vibing with me. They were all, like, Iggy, you were banished. You can’t be a performer. Okay, now I get it. No spotlight for Iggy. Let’s go to a place that is more background based: Kimball! Turns out, mascots do not make great cooks. I tried Kimball for a little bit–set myself on fire! I should have predicted that, me being made of foam and all. So that was a no. I applied for a job at the Jo, but man, is that a tough gig to get! Did not even get an interview. Safe to say the job search has not been going well. But not to fret, Iggy is keeping his head held high. 

As an abandoned mascot, life can be tough. It is all about staying true to yourself: keep being peppy, cheer for the football team. Or whatever it is that you do. My one wish is that this year is filled with school spirit.

Copy Edited by Lilly Baumfeld ’27