By Pelicans, stingrays and krakens—oh my! The finalists for Long Beach State’s mascot search have been revealed and are available for students, staff and residents of Long Beach to vote on, the school announced Wednesday.
The six mascots chosen from the pool 400 of entrants are mostly aquatic, with sharks, stingrays and “The Beach” represented along with the Kraken, adding some mythological flair to the selection. Competing with the marine representatives are the pelican and the giraffe.
“Whether it was from a student, alumni, staff or faculty member, or just a fan of Long Beach State, submissions were accepted from everyone,” Associated Student Inc. President Genesis Jara said in a press release.
Jake Jojola, a freshman international business major, felt the school should strongly consider “The Beach” or the sharks, simply because they make the most sense.
“‘The Beach’ because we are right next to it,” Jojola said. “I mean we are Long Beach State and the sharks because, I don’t know, they are in the ocean and we are close to the ocean.”
The sharks seemed to be a popular choice among students. However, some had questions about the particular shark species representing our school.
“Are we the hammerheads?” said freshman business major Malik Ford. “Are we the great whites? What kind of shark are we talking about here? The Tiger Sharks?”
Ford said he would be open to any of the candidates becoming mascot for the school — any but the giraffes.
“If we are the Giraffes, expect me to put in my transfer,” Ford said.
Maya Abed, a second year communication studies major, said having no mascot would be ideal.
“To be honest, we don’t really see a mascot walking around all the time,” Abed said. “The only place you really see a mascot is at a sports game … and we aren’t that big on sports except volleyball.”
Arielle Walker, a second year fashion design major, vehemently disagreed.
“I want to be an animal,” Walker said. “What are we going to draw on our shirts? Sand? That’s not exciting.”
A community voting period began April 10 and will conclude April 24. Student voting will be open May 6 to 8.
ASI began taking submissions for a new mascot after controversial figure Prospector Pete was removed as the mascot last year.
“This is a unique opportunity…to build awareness of everything this vibrant institution has achieved over the course of the past seven remarkable decades,” Michele Cesca, vice president for University Relations and Development, said in the release.
Once the final voting period has ended, ASI leaders will recommend the final mascot to President Jane Close Conoley, who will announce the new mascot in June.
Submit your vote at: https://asicsulb.org/mascotsearch/
This story was updated April 14 at 6:08 p.m.
Where can I vote and see pictures of the mascot?