As tradition continues on, the two senior SICSIC members, Flash the sloth and Mando the Mandalorian, were unmasked and revealed as Emma Horner and Gabe Wagner.
The two seniors wore the masks for three years without anyone, including their friends, knowing. Now that their faces were revealed, Horner and Wagner will finally be able to talk about their experience and explain their disappearances to their friends at BGSU.
SICSIC is one of the oldest currently active campus groups at BGSU. The first meeting was held on the night of Oct. 5, 1946, where the BGSU president at the time, Frank Prout, gathered six students and created a secret spirit group.
Their ultimate goal is to bring school spirit to everyone across campus. They are often found at sporting events and other campus events throughout the year. Each member is chosen at the end of their freshman year and has to keep the secret until the spring of their senior year.
“I think I kind of encouraged people to get out of their shells, so I’d walk up to people and start dancing. I would introduce fans to others and go to different student events on campus just to reach as much of the community as we could. All those individual interactions might seem so small, but that person remembers it, and it means the world to us,” said Horner.
Wagner said his experience as a SICSIC member was the best he’s had at BGSU.
“It’s so rare and I’m so grateful to have this experience because only one other person in your year gets to do this with you. So, you build these great relationships, not only within the group, but also with students that you interact with. It’s the best thing I could have ever asked for,” he said.
Both seniors had advice for future SICSIC members.
“You can’t let the secret of it get in your head and also realize that you have an opportunity to be a part of something so much bigger than yourself, so don’t think about being embarrassed,” said Horner.
“Just embrace the process. You join your freshman year, and those three years go by so fast. Take in every moment. Do it for the university, that’s the biggest thing. This experience is about others, it’s not about you,” said Wagner.
