The legacy of Clyde the Cougar
Mascots are a cornerstone of student life, helping bring everyone together with something to admire and cheer alongside. A good mascot represents a team, igniting excitement and embodying school spirit, making it truly unforgettable for students, but the best mascot never truly leaves the back of your mind. This retrospective is about the latter, an icon who disappeared without a trace, yet left such an impactful, cougar-shaped legacy that radiates in the walls of Wyckham to this day.
That mascot is Clyde the Cougar! A self-proclaimed party animal and former mascot of the Students’ Association of Mount Royal University.
But some of you may not know we had a mascot, let alone one as glorious and lauded as Clyde. So join us as we look back on our beloved friend and colleague in a celebration of his time as one of the best in the business.
A star is born
On a fateful day in 1990, a Students’ Association employee was moving boxes around in the basement of Wyckham House when they were startled by paw prints scattered around the floor. Soon after, they noticed something slowly moving in their peripheral vision, but before they could react, they were pounced upon by a vicious mountain lion dressed in the most abrasive 90s attire one could possibly wear.
After introducing himself as Clyde, it turned out he was just looking for the bar. But day after day, the mysterious feline continued to appear around Wyckham House, and students began to take a liking to the energy he brought with him – leading to him being hired full-time as the official SAMRU mascot.
Students loved his aggressive-yet friendly demeanor, as he would bring in students for hugs so tight their faces would get caught in his mouth. Given the length of his nose, there are also speculations he might be part weasel, although friends and colleagues have stated this is only a rumour, and his DNA test confirmed he is pure-bred.
There’s also the obvious resemblance to Calvin, MRU’s trusty fellow-cougar mascot. While cougars are viciously territorial, the two seemed to establish a mutual respect for each other as long as they kept their distance. Whether the two are definitively related is still up for debate, but self-proclaimed cougar experts have suggested that Clyde might be Calvin’s distant cousin.
Making a name for himself
From 1990 to the mid-2000s, Clyde became an iconic part of your Students’ Association, appearing at events like parties, club expos, sporting events, and more. Odds are, if something big were happening on campus, a cougar with a shockingly huge nose would be there.
However, there seemed to be confusion regarding the correct spelling of Clyde’s name soon after his official tenure at Wyckham began – with some publications and students calling him the similar-sounding, but slightly incorrect, Clyve. Sort of like how you would play it off if someone you just met malaprops your name, he reportedly played it off and responded to both, as he simply enjoyed the attention and joy that radiated when he was around students.
A step back from the spotlight
Wildlife photographers captured Clyde welcoming students back at Main Street Day, where he welcomed members to the SAMRU family and invited them to examine his teeth up close. 😬 However, this would one of the last times Clyde was ever seen by the public.
Shortly after Mount Royal transitioned from a college to a university in 2009, and SAMRC became the SAMRU you know today, Clyde seemed to take a step back from the limelight. His likeness was still used in Reflector ads and student life brochures, but the friendly cougar started to disappear and was hardly seen on campus.
Theories range from him growing fatigued to planning to make it big in Hollywood, but he rarely appeared, mostly preferring to stay in his lair in the basement of Wyckham House. Then one day… he was gone.
Missing Mascot
It’s always sad when someone important disappears from your life. No matter whether you simply grew apart or they went on to pursue a new career, that empty feeling can be somewhat filled but the desire to see an old friend never truly fades away.
The final documented picture of Clyde was taken around the early-to-mid 2010s (we are unsure of the photo’s exact date), where he was posing in the SAMRU offices giving a thumbs up and sporting a sick new fit he picked up from Old Navy. Shortly after, though, he vanished.
His clothes were discovered in the Wyckham House basement, suggesting he dropped his iconic get-up to blend in with other wild cougars as he left. Students were devastated, begging for their beloved friend to return, even just to say goodbye. But no matter how much catnip was put out, he never came back.
While we’re unsure of Clyde’s current whereabouts, we hope he’s making the most of his time outside of your Students’ Association. Maybe he preferred living the college life, or perhaps he’d made some solid investments that paid off, allowing him to retire early and fulfill his dreams of living out in the Canadian Rockies. Whatever he may be up to now, we wish him nothing but the best!🥹
He really should have submitted a two-week notice, though.
For general inquiries about everything SAMRU can do for you, or if you have important information regarding Clyde’s current place of residence, check out our website or send us a message at info@samru.ca.
