To cap off Spirit Week, two SICSIC members were unmasked at the Slater Family Ice Arena on Feb. 21. Seniors Ian Carter and Kay Nicht were revealed to be Blue Spirit and Geico during the second intermission of senior night.
Former Freddie, Frieda and SICSIC members gathered around their newly revealed masked members in celebration. Dwayne Lawson, formerly SICSIC’s Black Panther, was thrilled to be there for his friends.
“I am incredibly happy to see them. It’s been a long time coming; they are so great. I am so proud of them, they did so fantastic. I wouldn’t trade this moment for anything in the world,” Lawson said.
Keeping a secret this big for three years can be challenging, especially leading up to the big reveal.
“All of my friends questioning and asking, ‘What are you doing? Where are you?’ And of course, a lot of friends that are just like, ‘Oh, I probably don’t know this person, so I won’t go,’” Nicht said.
Despite the challenges, Nicht credited the community and the generous amount of support for making such an amazing experience.
“A lot of it is the campus community, and keeping the secret is just so important for this group to keep going. It’s so insanely special and important to honor the city of Bowling Green and what they do for us, because then if they don’t do anything for us, we can’t give back to them. So giving back is just so important and special,” she said.
A part of making sure the tradition retains its charm is continuing to do the little things. As the reveal gets closer, members of SICSIC have to remain diligent.
“It’s a lot of prep. It’s a lot of making sure you see everyone, meet everyone and continue doing what we’ve been doing for the past three years. It’s the spreading spirit, it’s the handing out taffy, making people laugh, it’s that whole thing and then getting on the ice and getting it done,” Carter said.
When it came to making people laugh, Carter enjoyed making up excuses for when his fellow SICSIC members were ever not out with the crew.
“If someone from the group is not at an event and someone asks where they are, we like to say they have IBS [irritable bowel syndrome] or they have some sort of condition like that that’s preventing them from coming,” he said.
Both alumni and current members of the spirit groups have high regard for the community and the traditions they get to be a part of. Lawson described the whole experience as “breathtaking.”
“Words can’t even describe it because it’s the experience that not everybody can get, but those that do receive it. It’s once in a lifetime, and it goes by fast, but it’s truly amazing and I wouldn’t trade it again for the world,” he said.
For Carter, all it took was seeing the group in action to pique his interest and a kind word from past members to seal the deal.
“I saw all the people before me, the group that was there my freshman year and the energy they brought and then I wanted to continue keeping that spirit alive,” Carter said. “I also had talked to an alumnus previously, and he had encouraged me and said that ‘you could be the right fit for us.’ And that’s all the encouragement I needed.”
