Update on Bernoulli the Beaver!

Caltech’s mascot finally has a democratically elected name: Bernoulli, or Berni for short. This name was unveiled in a short ceremony on Sunday, May 21st.

Betsy Mitchell, Head of Athletics, gave a short speech on the importance of school spirit before bringing our mascot out. With a very dramatic flair, she ripped the tape obscuring the name off its jersey, revealing “Bernoulli”.

This name was chosen by a poll sent out to undergrads, grads, and faculty. Over 700 ballots total were cast, and Bernouilli won the majority of votes in every voting group.

After the name was revealed, in midwestern Ohio fashion, Mitchell and the captains of the various sports teams each presented the bronze statue with gifts. These included sticks and assorted sports memorabilia such as track batons and volleyballs.

After the ceremony there was a summer kick off barbecue. Many students attended and discussed the beaver statue and its new name. The general sentiment among the undergrads seemed to be pro-Bernoulli but there were some students that questioned the need for the beaver statue.

Other attendees, however, saw the opportunity to worship the statue and took it. They prostrated themselves on the ground before the statue to a rousing chorus of “YES YES YES” by Betsy Mitchell.

To gauge the distribution of sentiment, the Tech ran a 24-hour approval poll for Bernoulli on @thecaliforniatech’s Instagram story as well as on Fizz. A total of 574 votes were received, although they cannot be guaranteed to be unique or genuine. The results are pictured; make of them what you will.

Overall, the event seemed to be a success, and the new name has certainly sparked discussions about school spirit. We will just have to wait and see if this continues.