Whether a short-legged omnivore, a mascot named Bucky or a native of Wisconsin, being a badger takes on a multitude of meanings. Even if it is merely a burrowing, four-legged mammal, the badger holds a special place in the hearts of the students, professors and faculty at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Bucky Badger is the official mascot for UW-Madison, first seen nearly 76 years ago in 1940. Here we are, years later, and Bucky is still the driving force of our campus. We can expect to see him at every football, basketball and hockey game; he even makes some impromptu visits to the dining halls.
Aside from being an embodiment of school spirit and pride, Bucky Badger represents more than what meets the eye. He represents the diverse array of students, the school as a unified whole, the achievements of the university and the UW experience that each student will carry with them long beyond college. No one badger story is the same, and the influence that UW badgers have on society beyond their years at the university is undeniable.
Despite the size of the university, everyone on campus is linked by simply being a badger, a truly special characteristic. Badgers are everywhere and come in many different ethnicities, personalities, talents, shapes, sizes and so on. This is part of what makes being a badger so unique. With that being said, I asked around to see what being a badger means to my fellow UW-Madison peers.
What do you think it means to be a badger?
1. “It means you are a part of a family.” Jenna Vogt
2. “Being a badger means sharing a love and passion with 40,000 other people, which is something really unique.” Haley Dolan
3. “Being a badger means eating a lot of cheese curd and drinking a lot of beer, while hoping to burn it all off by walking up Bascom Hill.” Caroline Keenan
4. “Being white, black, and red all over!” Emily Toboyek
5. “It means having school spirit!” Clara Garcia
6. “Being a badger is being a part of something bigger. We all share one commonality, and that is loving Wisconsin and being proud to be badgers.” Lauren Frericks
7. “Being a badger means discovering who you are through people and unique experiences.” Emily Sumner
As you can see, being a badger is more than just attending the University of Wisconsin-Madison. It means unity, spirit and experience. It represents the student body and the individual connotations being a badger holds. These individual connotations develop, grow and solidify through the interactions with fellow badgers and the university as a whole. A simple picture of Bucky Badger can trigger a rush of memories and ideas that UW-Madison has fostered for each member of the student body. Whether those memories are of game days, quirky class stories, nights out with your friends or that late night Ian’s, the memories created on campus will contribute even more to the badger image and all that it has come to encompass. All in all, being a badger is an experience that goes unmatched.
