(Photo by: Mckenzie Hollinshed)
He’s known by many names. The Cavalier, the mascot, the funny hat guy–most importantly, he is Jean Claude, and this JC is the ambassador of our JCCC. But really, who is Jean Claude? Who is behind the mask? And how did an English soldier make it to Johnson County Community College?
Legend says that an old history professor owned a family heirloom, a sword that belonged to an English Cavalier. Years later, the professor lost the sword within a forested area near campus. It’s believed that the English Cavalier who originally owned the sword roams the forest searching for his missing blade. His determination to find his sword reflects the students and athletes here at JCCC.
Jean Claude knew we had questions that needed answers, so he took time out of his busy schedule for this very reason.
Claude was asked if he liked being a mascot, and his answer left no room for interpretation as he threw his arms wide and leaned back in his chair. To follow that, we knew an important question would be his favorite dance move; he answered by quickly standing up and doing a jump split. A follow-up question was if he enjoyed breakdancing, and he immediately started breakdancing on the CoLab floor. When asked about the possibility of the person behind the mask having a dance background, he shook his head no.
He told us through visual storytelling about how he receives many hugs, high-fives, and handshakes. Jean Claude also loves cats. Lastly, Claude did not give a clear answer about whether or not the legend is true, and only performed a bit with an imaginary sword.
Even though Claude’s answers were deep and soulful, it was still impossible to see who was behind the mask, though the “Scooby-Doo unmasking method” was not used. So, it was time to look into the history of JC. A former student named Noah Rochlitz wore the mask of Jean Claude over a decade ago.
“It was awesome, I really enjoyed it. I still brag about being a mascot to this day,” Rochlitz said.
When the mantle of Jean Claude is being passed onto another, they have to try out with the JCCC dance team, and Rochlitz just happened to be in the right place at the right time. When Rochlitz was leaving a class, he was stopped and asked by a man if he was there for the mascot tryouts, and he knew he couldn’t miss out on the opportunity. So, he put the head and costume on and got out there.
“They played some music and I was kind of dancing, but I could tell that they weren’t really feeling my dance moves… And I was like, let me hit them with a break dance, see if I could do a spin,” Rochlitz said. “I hit the ground, and the head was so heavy all I could do was roll in a circle,
kicking my legs, and the whole dance team was laughing. I think that’s what did it for me.”
Rochlitz loved going to sporting games, especially basketball games. Whenever he’d go to events, the dance coach would follow him around during photos and festivities to make sure he wasn’t getting messed with by curious children. Then, one time, the coach had to judge a competition. When asked about a favorite JC memory, this is one that Rochlitz thought of.
“I went over to the corner where all these kids were, and I was playing with them a little bit, and they had sticks, so I did, like, a Jean Claude swordfight,” Rochlitz said. “It kind of set them all off, and there were like 10 kids that started whacking me with sticks. I was trying to run away, and they pulled me by my cape… It was pretty funny.”
The mascot suit is very well-maintained. The suit is washed every time it’s worn. To prevent overheating, it is equipped with a fan in the head, and the wearer wears a cooling ice vest.
“They take care of us,” Rochlitz said.
It seems like we will never know the truth behind the legend, but we do know that this JC, the Ambassador of our JCCC, means a lot to each and every student and staff member on campus. So remember, next time you see Jean Claude on campus, give him a hug, high five, or handshake.
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