By: Maleah Funderburk
Staff Writer
YikYak is home to Wingate students’ anonymous comments about school
life, local drama and now a beloved stuffed bear—Henry.
In mid-September, a scruffy, sweet-eyed brown bear brought a glimmer of
positivity and lightheartedness to an otherwise chaotic social forum. Sporting a towel around his body and a hair wrap coating his head, Henry wished users a good day. The initial post reached 167 upvotes, a very large number for average posts on the site.
The bear’s positivity reached many students who expressed their love in the comments, one writing, “Thank you, Henry, you really made my day!”
Henry’s journey to fame began after many asked for daily posts. Each day,
Henry would make an appearance doing human activities amid all the
YikYak mayhem. He celebrated a birthday, posing in front of a candle-lit
pink sprinkled cake and a rainbow party hat between his soft ears.
Dressed in a striped-blue button-up, he modeled inside of a Lamborghini and
reminded students to take time for themselves. Henry even repped a stack of cash, establishing himself as a wealthy and distinguished bear. Soon enough, Henry had his own official Instagram account, catching the attention of Wingate students.
“You’ve seen him around campus and he’s quickly becoming an unofficial mascot, meet Henry!” reads the caption underneath a photo of a studious Henry the Bear sitting at a table with a calculator and two notebooks in front of him. A pencil in his hand and glasses, Henry is appearing as an actual student.
Now possessing a platform and being the “official” unofficial mascot, Henry is a beloved Wingate “alum.” Before his massive rise to fame, Henry was a simple cherished plush for his owner, who has remained anonymous in the posts about the bear.
Henry was built at Build-a-Bear in June 2021 when his owner’s cousin surprised them by flying down to North Carolina for the weekend after their high school graduation. Build-a-Bear visits were a tradition for the two, and the pair visited before parting ways, where Henry was born.
Henry’s official name on his Build-a-Bear birth certificate is actually “Stinky.” The owner admits that they truly thought the trip was a waste of money and didn’t care to take the time for a name. However, it was hard to resist the kind-eyed bear’s comfort and sentiments. Marked with a Harry Potter logo on his foot, the owner considered “Harry” but felt it was too generic, thus Henry finally received his iconic name.
Henry was a source of happiness for his owner. Their mother used to collect dolls and would stitch them into clothes. She used her knowledge to save money on Build-a-Bear clothes and create clothing for her child’s stuffed animals. In doing so, they learned that Build-a-Bear animals are the same size as newborn clothing.
They purchased clothes for him from TJMaxx, Target and Build-a-Bear, and his classic Wingate T-shirt, gathering an eccentric wardrobe.
Whenever they had a bad day, they would take pictures of Henry doing human activities and send them to friends. The iconic first photo taken in their mom’s bathroom was “too cute” and had to be posted.
“I was literally in shock when people started to really like Henry,” the unsung face behind Henry says. “It made me incredibly happy because I love this bear and to see other people find the same joy I did was surreal.”
However, some students found Henry’s presence annoying, taking to YikYak to post their aversion to the bear. Henry and his owner weren’t affected. His presence on the app was intended to make people happy and spread positivity.
The owner reveals that part of the decision to create an Instagram account was to escape the negativity and allow those who want to see Henry’s posts have the choice of following the account. “I just decided that instead of having people have debates about me posting Henry, I would [just] diffuse the situation. Those who don’t [want to follow him] can continue to be bitter on an anonymous app.”
Henry now doesn’t appear as often as he once did but still remains to be one of Wingate’s honorary students. A treasured friend to his owner, helping them navigate college life with the comfort of a snuggly hug, Henry’s human-like activities have brought smiles and positivity to the stressful environment of college.
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