By Rachel Katz (Hofstra University)
Mascots are meant to symbolize a university’s school spirit and make the students proud to cheer its name during a sports game. While the Hofstra Pride may seem like the perfect name for this reason, the school used to have a much more distinguishable one just a few years ago. In 2004, Hofstra officially changed their mascot from the Flying Dutchman to the Pride. This caused me to wonder about other college mascots. Here is a list of five unusual mascots.
Delta State Fighting Okra
Delta State University, located in Cleveland, Mississippi, originally used the “Statesman” as their mascot. However, in the 1980’s, students created an unofficial and more identifiable mascot: a piece of okra. Students thought the “Fighting Okra” sounded more intimidating than the “Statesman.” It is believed that this new name originated from a discussion between the DSU baseball team and the DSU basketball team. The “Fighting Okra” was also mentioned in an episode of “Good Eats” on the Food Network.
University of California – Santa Cruz Banana Slugs
For those of you who don’t know, a Banana Slug is a yellow, slimy, shell-less mollusk that can be found in redwood forests along the Pacific coast. This was made the official mascot of UC Santa Cruz in 1986 after students voted against the “Sea Lions.” In 2008, ESPN named the “Banana Slugs” one of the top ten college mascots.
Rhode Island School of Design Nads (Go Nads!)
RISD, a small private school, has made our private parts their unofficial mascots. The RISD ice hockey team goes by “The Nads” and their basketball team goes by the “The Balls.” This allows for some catchy slogans. The hockey team tends to yell, “Go Nads,” while the basketball team yells, “When the heat is on, the balls stick together.” Scrotie, the name of their mascot, wears a wiener costume and a cape.
North Carolina School of the Arts Fighting Pickles
The “Fighting Pickles” became the unofficial mascot of North Carolina School of the Arts in the early 1970’s. This originated from a contest held regarding a new name for the football team. Originally, the three main contestants came up with “The Pickles” along with the slogan, “Sling ‘em by their warts!” However, this eventually turned into the “Fighting Pickles.”
Scottsdale Community College Fighting Artichokes
When Scottsdale Community College opened in 1970 in Scottsdale, Arizona, they were given more funding for the athletics programs rather than for academics. Because of this, they were more pressured to create a mascot, finally deciding between three: the “Artichokes,” “Rutabagas,” and the “Scoundrels.” It is said the “Artichokes” won because “they have heart.”
