Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Quiet Life of a Retired Mascot

DANIEL SMITH/THE HOYA The senior Jack the Bulldog enjoys a plush retirement, replete with languid campus strolls and audiences with adoring students.
DANIEL SMITH/THE HOYA
The senior Jack the Bulldog enjoys a plush retirement, replete with languid campus strolls and audiences with adoring students.

As the puppy John B. Carroll, now known as Jack, captures the collective heart of campus, his predecessor is enjoying his twilight years in retirement — far from the madding crowd of Verizon Center.

John S. Carroll, who, like all of Georgetown’s mascots, enjoyed the appellation “Jack” in his heyday, arrived on campus in 2003 and was entrusted to Fr. Christopher Steck, S.J. After a decade of service, he retired last year and passed the mascot-mantle to J.J., whose reign was momentary. The senior bulldog spends his days in the lobby of the Jesuit residence Wolfington Hall, where he receives visitors before returning to the fourth floor of New South Hall in the evening. According to Steck, Jack still relishes socializing with the Georgetown community.

“There’s still a sense of liking to be with people,” Steck said. “He comes back after dinner, usually, and immediately goes to the student lounge. He likes hanging out with the students.”

Jack Sr. no longer attends official events and does not participate in performances at basketball games. While boxes no longer constitute a major part of his diet, he does still attend the occasional sporting event at the MultiSport Facility; however, most of his time in public consists of wandering around campus.

“I will take him around campus, and Red Square and things like that. And people take pictures of him all the time still,” Steck said.

Jack Sr. also grants evening audiences in the New South lobby, although Steck says he can exude a “diva personality.”

“We walk back inside and he immediately walks to one particular spot in the lobby where he sits there and waits for people to come pet him,” Steck said. “And when he’s had enough, about five or 10 minutes of being in the lobby, he just gets up and walks to the elevator, expecting me to follow him.”

Jack Sr. injured the canine equivalent of his anterior cruciate ligament in 2012. The injury can be aggravated by running on slippery floors, which precludes his public on-court performances. Steck feels that the legendary canine palpably misses going to the basketball games.

“Sometimes he’ll look out to the Jesuit circle and he’ll kind of want a car because when we went to the basketball games, there’d be a car there, and we’d park it, and he’d jump into the car and we’d go off to the basketball games,” Steck said. “So sometimes he’s like looking for that car and of course it’s not there.”

The familiar game environment would probably trigger Jack’s desire to perform, which Steck does not want to risk.

“So I could not just bring him to the game and just have him kind of wander around a little bit because he would just focus so much on the things he wanted to do. I think ideally if he weren’t going to get distracted by all of that what would be great would be to bring him to the concourse level,” Steck said.

Jack’s energy levels have decreased throughout his time in retirement.

“There might be a little bit of boredom, but like I said, his energy level is so low compared to what it used to be, that I think there is enough activity to keep him busy,” Steck said.

The retired mascot’s presence on campus does not detract from the limelight the new mascot receives.

“I don’t think it ends up being a big deal as far as Jack going around campus and visiting people. In fact, I suspect the university would want to have both kind of present,” Steck said.

Adam Ramadan (SFS ’14) has had a lot of interaction with the dog because he is a member of the Jack Crew.

“From my understanding, he’s doing just fine with Fr. Steck,” Ramadan said. “I see him around campus and that video of the snow when he was rolling around in the snow was kind of really cute when he was out there. I mean he’s happy; he’s doing his thing.”

New South Four denizens like Abi Vega (MSB ’17) enjoy living in close proximity to the school’s former mascot. Jack, however, is not the most social floor-mate, which is partly due to his old age.

“Sometimes he doesn’t particularly pay attention to you if you are petting him or stuff. I just think that that’s because he’s old and kind of tired of other people’s crap,” Vega said.

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    Mairead McAuliffeSep 28, 2018 at 8:45 pm

    In a world of fake news, Ashley Miller presents us with the truth.

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