The Associated Students Inc. Senate passed a resolution approving the search for a new mascot and outlining its plan Wednesday. The proposal outlined the process from public submissions to the final approval of the mascot that is still being decided.
Students, faculty and residents will have an opportunity to submit mascot ideas online following the unveiling of a new website. ASI President Genesis Jara said the details of the process will be revealed Thursday at 8 a.m. on ASI’s website, ASICSULB.org, and their Twitter, @CSULBASI.
The process will begin with a period of idea gathering open to public suggestion, followed by an opportunity for students to vote for their favorite proposed mascot. It will be overseen by a committee and ultimately presented to President Jane Close Conoley for approval.
“This gave us an opportunity to start this whole process, the wheels just started turning now,” ASI Vice President and Chair Leen Almahdi said.
Almahdi elaborated on the decision to include the larger community and said the mascot will be a source of pride for generations to come.
She added that while students are the ones primarily affected by the mascot change, the impact will be community wide as LBSU, and by extension, its mascot, reflects the city as a whole.
Those entering a design will need to include an explanation of the proposal as well as a drawing of the suggested mascot. The design can be submitted by a single individual or a group.
Following the submission of ideas, a mascot search committee will be formed consisting of students, alumni, LBSU athletics and the community.
“Even if you are a student, alumni, faculty or community member, this is a process that anyone can partake in,” Almahdi said.
Sen. at large Aaron Jordan expressed interest in joining the search committee, echoing Almahdi’s sentiments about the importance of having a good mascot.
“The mascot is one of the first things people see when they search the college [online],” he said. “It needs to be relatable to students as well as aesthetically alluring.”
Once all the ideas are submitted, there will be a period of voting that will function similarly to an ASI election, with each student given the opportunity to cast their vote on an online ballot.
The next ASI Senate meeting will be Wednesday at 3:30 p.m. in USU 234.