By Lauren Ussery

Centerspread Editor

It takes a giant dose of enthusiasm to wear the head of Cowboy Carl – just ask sophomore Caroline Roberson, Coppell

Photo by Aditi Shrikant. During the homecoming pep rally, sophomore Caroline Roberson, 'Cowboy Carl', dances on the field to Beyonce's "Single Ladies" with the CHS cheerleaders and Silver Spurs.

High School’s newest student mascot.  

Roberson began her career as a mascot years ago as the cheery Coppell Middle School East Bronco during as an eighth grader. The experience helped her adjust to being in the spotlight and spreading excitement to the crowd.

While some people have dreams of becoming an athlete since they were kids, this was not the case with Roberson.

“I just woke up one day and thought ‘Wow, I want to be a mascot!’ and I fell in love with it,” Roberson said.

Getting a new student to play the role is only one of the many changes for this year’s mascot.

“This year the mascot is taking on more responsibility and making skits for the pep rallies,” Roberson said. “And now I’m actually involved with the cheerleaders and involved with the Silver Spurs rather than doing my own thing.”

Former mascot, junior Jeff Trautman, will be supporting the school this year as a Silver Spur, but expressed high hopes for Roberson in the mascot role.

“I think she’s going to have to get used to it, but once she gets out of her comfort zone and gets into the role, she can be pretty crazy and fun, so I think she’ll do really well,” Trautman said.  

In the past, the mascot was a friendly face without a name, but this year Coppell’s cowboy can finally introduce himself by name.

“I was on a choir trip when we realized that the cowboy didn’t have a name, and Carl just seemed to fit. So now the mascot has a name – Cowboy Carl,” Roberson said.

Roberson isn’t the only one at CHS with mascot experience. English teacher Nannette McMurtry once shared the opportunity to be a mascot, as well. As the Howard Payne University yellow jacket, McMurtry was responsible for firing up the crowd at all sporting events, and making public appearances, such as visiting elementary schools and taking pictures on the day of homecoming.

Although being a mascot was often challenging, she enjoyed the experience of getting to meet people she would not have met otherwise.

 “I just liked being a part of that side of the school I had never been a part of before, like being with the cheerleaders and athletes,” McMurtry said. “There was just so much camaraderie in my school, and the mascot was the center of it, so I really liked that.”

Both Roberson and McMurtry see enthusiasm as the key asset to being a good mascot.

“If you have a mascot that’s willing to do crazy things and get the crowd riled up and jump into the crowd, then it kind of works,” McMurtry said. “But if you just stand there awkwardly then it doesn’t work.”

Roberson talked about the importance of enthusiasm while being the mascot, saying that the energy of the crowd comes from the mascot’s energy.

“If I’m just standing there, no one’s going to get excited,” Roberson said. “But if I’m out there going crazy, I feel like it’s going to help get people pumped.”

And then there is the issue of showcasing the school identity. As Roberson put it, the mascot is a symbol of the school.

 “It’s like the Chick-Fil-A cow,” Roberson said. “Chick-fil-A would not be Chick-Fil-A without their cow, you know? Coppell Cowboys would not be Coppell Cowboys without their Cowboy Carl.”