Hink appears at a wide variety of events around campus. Photo by Jonathan Wang.

SAWYER GOLDWEIN | ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR | sgoldwein@butler.edu 

All current students who work as Hink were interviewed under the condition of anonymity following the tradition of concealing the identity of a school’s mascot. They will be referred to as Hinks 1-4.

Athletes, coaches and even Butler’s beloved live mascot, Blue IV, are widely known figures around campus, but there are others who stand tall among them all. They are at basketball and football games, orientation and Convocation, weddings and festivals. Yet, despite being recognized by so many people every time they make an appearance, nobody really knows them. 

Butler’s costumed mascot, Hink, is a mysterious character. The legendary Tony Hinkle — whose many roles at Butler included teaching, coaching three sports and working in athletic administration — is the mascot’s namesake. 

Hink has been around for decades and has become an integral part of game days at Butler according to Brenda Jamerson, cheer head coach and head of the mascot program.

“People come and say, ‘Is Hink here tonight?’” Jamerson said. “So, it’s important to [the] culture.”

When people ask if Hink is on-site, the answer is usually yes. Four current students take on the role, donning the costume and bringing school spirit to any event they attend. While it may seem like an easy, fun job, it comes with challenges. 

“A lot of people will try out and they’ll be like, ‘Yes, I really want to be Hink,’” Hink 1 said. “And [then] they put the suit on and they get super claustrophobic.”

It takes a special person to successfully put on the costume and entertain the masses without saying a word. Mascots have to be athletic, high-energy and creative. Many Hinks, past and present, have backgrounds in dance or musical theater.

The Hinks share their enthusiasm and energy with their counterparts: the cheer team. Mascots are considered part of the cheer and spirit team, however the key difference between the two is that Hink is a paid role, while cheerleaders are unpaid athletes. Still, the two groups cross paths often and have a positive relationship.

“The cheerleaders all like [the Hinks],” Jamerson said. “The cheerleaders are always trying to guess who’s in the Hink costume.”

For one of the Hinks, performing as a mascot is nothing new.

“Back in elementary [school], I was our school’s mascot,” Hink 2 said. “My mom was the cheer coach and we were the Schmidt Rockets, so I dressed as a rocket. I was always in that role, just playing the mascot part.”

Of course, playing the role of Hink is a lot different than being the Schmidt Rocket. Perhaps the most obvious element of getting into character is the costume itself. 

With abundant padding on the torso, extra large feet and hands, and the all-important head —  the suit is not easy to put on. The entire process takes five to ten minutes before each event, but the excess fur and padding heat the inside of the costume quickly, and the Hinks usually retreat to a private area to remove the head and cool off during events. 

“When we do early fall semester or late spring semester [events], it is so hot in there,” Hink 3 said. “I’m dripping sweat. Also [at] the basketball games with all the people in there, [it] just creates a lot of heat.”

But despite the heat and other challenges, the job is extremely rewarding. The Hinks get the opportunity to work a wide variety of events, brightening the days of many different people, even if they did not set out to do so.

“My most embarrassing Hink moment is probably when I got lost at an event,” Hink 4 said in an email to The Butler Collegian. “I accidentally got separated from the rest of the group I was with and spent a very long time entertaining random people as I searched for my group. Everything ended up fine and it was very funny, but in the moment it was pretty embarrassing.”

No matter who Hink is entertaining, there is nothing quite like putting smiles on faces and making people’s days.

“My proudest moment is probably when I got to spend the afternoon playing kickball at an elementary school,” Hink 4 said. “At first, the kids seemed pretty reserved, but as the day went on, they warmed up to Hink and said, ‘You’re the best mascot ever,’ which just made me feel all warm and fuzzy. They even sent a thank you note from all of the kids. It was just such a cool experience and I hope some of them are future Bulldogs!”

If some of those kids are future Dawgs, they may step into the spotlight one day and entertain the next generation. While Hink 1 was not quite elementary school-aged when introduced to Butler’s mascot, their experiences interacting with Hink inspired them to try out for the role. 

“All of freshman year, I went to a lot of games that people miss out on — like women’s basketball and volleyball,” Hink 1 said. “Hink tries to find people in the crowd and interact with them, so he would come over and sit down beside me [and] we’d mess around. I had a great time with Hink … I was like, ‘Okay, I have to do this.’ So I decided to try out, and thankfully I [got] the position.”

Of course, the real work starts after the tryout is over. While having multiple Hinks is convenient for scheduling, it creates obstacles when it is necessary to give the impression of consistency. The goal and the challenge is to make it difficult for fans to tell that Hink is not always the same person.

“[The mascots] are trying to brand it more, so that they’re all doing similar things,” Jamerson said. “Female and male mannerisms are a lot different. A lot of people know when it’s a male or a female, so they are trying to work together to make sure nobody knows.”

Plenty of practice time is put into making Hink appear to be one person and refining everybody’s individual skills. Hink 4 even attended four days of mascot training, joining Butler’s cheer team for their trip to the UCA College Cheer Camp in Tennessee.

“I got to meet mascots from all sorts of different schools,” Hink 4 said. “We learned all sorts of skills like improvisation and charades and just got to learn from one another as mascots. We also got to practice these skills with local camps or the cheer and dance teams. Finally, all the mascots got to put on a performance for all of the camp attendees.”

The mascots hope that their hard work will lead to big things for the future of the mascot program.

“Establishing a big personality for Hink that is nationally noticeable and recognized [is our goal],” Hink 2 said.

But no matter what happens, the Hinks will always cherish their time wearing the suit.

“When they graduate, they don’t want to graduate from being Hink,” Jamerson said. “Almost every one of them says, ‘Can I still be Hink if you need me?’”