A Robin Hood Oak tree, a symbol on the campus of The State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, has served as inspiration for the school’s new mascot – Oakie the acorn.

Faculty and students said they hope the mascot will increase school spirit, create a stronger sense of identity and even improve student relations with Syracuse University.

Oakie made its debut Friday at Bray Hall with more than 200 students and faculty present, said Robert French, vice president for enrollment management and marketing.

‘We were really happy with the student turnout,’ he said. ‘A lot of kids got their picture taken with Oakie, and that’s the kind of thing we were looking for.’

The idea to have a mascot came after ESF officially adopted the Mighty Oaks as the school’s athletic team name last summer. Both the mascot and name are part of the college’s athletic program expansion, he said.

The athletic teams have always competed as club sports, but this fall the college joined the National Intercollegiate Athletic Association. Students associate the expanded program with an increase in school pride.

‘Instead of feeling like the only sports team to root for is the Orange, we now have our own mascot and teams to root for,’ said Jeff Johnston, a sophomore environmental science major.

The team name was chosen by 800 students in an online poll. The Undergraduate Student Association (USA) and ESF administration worked together to come up with six choices, including The Lumberjacks and The Night Owls, French said.

The new team name has the potential to eliminate the school’s unofficial nickname, the Stumpies, a term that some embraced fondly and others regarded as an insult.

‘Personally, it wouldn’t bother me if it did,’ French said. ‘It has always been an unofficial term, and for some people, it doesn’t sound like a very positive term. I’m hoping Oakie is more popular.’

Members of USA chose an acorn because of its significance to ESF and the Robin Hood Oak on campus, a tree grown from an acorn from England’s Sherwood Forest, said Ryan Henry, director of athletics for USA.

Henry, a junior landscape architecture major, drafted a design for Oakie using ESF’s colors and SU’s mascot, Otto, for inspiration.

SU’s mascot played a large role in the creation of Oakie, he said. Both mascot costumes are made by the same company, and future Oakies will be trained by members of Otto’s Army, the group of students who play and support SU’s mascot. Henry said he also wants to see the friendly relationship between the mascots carry over to the students at both schools.

‘In the future, we want to separate ourselves from the shadow of SU, but at the same time create a better bond, inspired by Otto and Oakie working together,’ Henry said.

Henry has big plans for Oakie and hopes to use both mascots in a public service announcement about recycling, he said. He’s even thinking ahead about sponsorship deals for the mascots, he said.

‘The fruit and nut company is going to love it,’ he said. ‘We should get a trail mix company to sponsor us.’

ESF plans to use the mascot to increase school spirit by having Oakie make appearances at events, such as sporting events and student orientation, said French, the vice president for enrollment management and marketing.

While the mascot will help create a sense of identity for ESF that is separate from SU, French said the relationship will stay as strong as it has always been.

‘We have a great relationship with SU and it’s going to continue in the future, but ESF students are proud to be ESF students,’ he said. ‘They like to be able to root for their own teams, have their own mascot, their own colors and their own identity.’

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Published on January 27, 2010 at 12:00 pm