The most spirited person in the gymnasium or on the field can’t even speak.
Cal Poly’s mascot, Musty the Mustang, can be seen at football, basketball and soccer games, as well as fundraisers and community outreach programs, and the group of six students who wear the suit spread good cheer everywhere they gallop.
“Musty is important because he represents school spirit and pride in what you do and sharing that pride with other students,” animal science junior and member of the mascot team Shelby Mitchell said.
The members of the Musty team, along with the athletics department, hope to continue to revive the program.
Last year, students received volunteer hours for wearing the suit, but next year the athletic department hopes to turn it into an internship program. Positions will be posted on Mustang Jobs this month.
Environmental management and protection senior Keegan Aspelund is heading up this change under the direction of Shaun Russell, the associate athletic director of marketing. He helps recruit individuals to serve as the mascot and make sure the rules are adhered to.
The student wearing Musty must never speak or take off his head in public because he has a persona to maintain.
Musty is an interactive figure that adds to the entertainment element of games, Russell said.
“Families are likely to want to high five and take a photo with the mascot,” Russell said. “It is a fun element to an athletic event. It doesn’t change if a team wins or loses, but as a fan you notice when the mascot is there.”
A potential mascot candidate should be comfortable with children, open to making a fool of themselves in public, not claustrophobic, in decent shape and somewhere between 5-foot-10 and 6-foot-3.
Aspelund noted the importance of the height requirement.
“If you aren’t tall enough Musty looks like a chubby pony rather than an awesome mustang,” Aspelund said.
Her love for Cal Poly has grown since being a mascot, Mitchell said.
“Everyone that is a part of the Musty team is energetic and super pumped up and we love Cal Poly,” Mitchell said. “We have school spirit and I think that is why we choose to do it and we want to get others pumped up.”
Aspelund, who has been wearing the suit since January 2010, went to Anaheim for the Big West basketball conference and competed in the mascot competition which included events like the bean bag toss, hula hoop competition and arm wrestling among others. He took first place the past two years in event with at least eight other contestants.
Dancing skill doesn’t matter, Aspelund said.
“I am a freaking horse with huge muscles,” Aspelund said. “I don’t look smooth, I just do it,” Aspelund said.
But not just anyone is allowed to wear the suit.
The tryout process to becoming a mascot includes filling out a basic information sheet and a sports quiz followed by skit and dance tryouts, Mitchell said.
“You don’t have to be qualified other than being the right height, having spirit and wanting to give it a shot,” Aspelund said.
It is easier to enjoy the game when there is a mascot horsing around, Mitchell said.
“Musty can be the face of Cal Poly pride and spirit, and if he becomes a more interactive personality around the campus, I think that could step up other people’s involvement and support,” Aspelund said.
Musty not only builds involvement on campus, but within the community as well, athletics director Don Oberhelman said.
“The mascot is a great extension of the cheer and dance team,” Oberhelman said. “It is a great way to reach out to the youth in the community. Some may not be interested in what is going on in the field, but they do take interest in Musty.”
Children from the community especially relate to Musty.
“My favorite thing about the suit is when little kids come up to you at the games because they look at you like you are a hero almost,” Mitchell said.
Wearing the suit isn’t always fun and games; suiting up is a process.
The Musty costume takes almost 10 minutes to put on and when inside, vision is impaired to the point that you can’t see below your chin.
Because of this, Musty is always accompanied by a “Musty handler” who helps the person wear the suit and do crowd control while they are cheering.
“Being in the suit is a lot of fun,” Aspelund said. “You get to make a fool of yourself, but at the same time it is a lot of hard work.”