The Oswego Lakers mascot is a beloved symbol of school spirit at the State University of New York at Oswego. The Lakers mascot is a representation of the school's athletic team, which competes in various sports including hockey, basketball, soccer, and lacrosse. The mascot itself is a large, friendly, and energetic character that is known for its blue and gold colors. It can often be seen at sporting events, encouraging the crowd to cheer for the teams and creating a lively atmosphere. The Oswego Lakers mascot plays an essential role in rallying the crowd and creating a sense of unity among students and alumni. It brings a spirit of camaraderie and excitement to the games and helps to promote school pride.

State University of New York - Oswego

An "excellent business program," a strong education program, a "successful honors program," and "good study-abroad options" highlight the academic offerings of SUNY-Oswego. Professors seem focused on creating a "personal and comfortable learning environment" for undergraduates. Oswego profs are "knowledgeable about their subject and excited to be in Oswego." They seem to "really care about what you do and want to help you in every way to make sure you do well." Students also appreciate that they "have a lot of opportunities to work with professors on research and other projects outside of the classroom to help build real-world experience." That makes sense to many students, as they view an Oswego education mainly as "preparation for the working world." That said, "some of the GE (general education) professors are not so great." But all-in-all, it's the "amazing professors" who make an Oswego bachelor's degree "a great education for the amount of money you pay." The administration gets only fair reviews. While it "has good intentions at heart," it is "pretty disorganized in many ways."

Student Body

SUNY-Oswego's student body "consists mostly of middle-class to lower-middle-class students from upstate New York." That said, there are also many "from downstate like NYC and Long Island." How do you tell the difference between upstaters and downstaters? Word on campus is that upstaters aren't afraid to occasionally wear their flip flops outside in the winter, while downstaters keep their Uggs on. In addition to permanent residence somewhere in the Empire State, "the majority of students are white." Temperamentally, "the typical student is usually someone who is studious from Sunday to Wednesday, and parties on weekends. "There are some students who don't go to class, and those who don't party," explains an undergrad. "They are all accepted by the community and will have friends in different social cliques." "They normally fit in by finding a club that they enjoy," agrees another.

Campus Life

Winter sport enthusiasts be advised, "Oswego offers some awesome winter activities due to the amount of snow we get." These include "one of the best" ice skating rinks, "so ice skating is always a fun activity." In addition, "snowball fights are a must." And of course, "one of everyone's favorite things is going to the home hockey games (we won the national championship in [2007])." "When the weather is nice we have bonfires down by the lake," and "in the summer and spring people will spread out beach towels and get some sun on the lakeside of campus." In addition, "there are also concerts and performers that come throughout the year to the school." "Some students go out on the weekends to parties and bars and others see a movie or go bowling," says one student. Some here think "the city of Oswego has seen better days," finding that because it is "a small city," it lacks the "excitement of big-city life."

Will the real Laker mascot please stand up?

The days of having Ozwald the Laker or Oz the Snowbeast leading the chants at athletic events could soon be dawning upon Oswego State.

The Lakers’ search for a mascot has taken another step, albeit a baby step, toward reality, with forums held this week for both faculty and students to express their desires, suggestions and concerns as to what should properly represent the college community.

Mascot ideas ranging from abominable snowbeasts, bears, sea monsters, and even a walking lighthouse character were revealed at the forums. Over a dozen sketches of what the future face of the Lakers could look like were displayed, with more on the way.

"It’s something that is going to fulfill all the roles that everyone wants," said senior Greg Aiello, who, along with fellow senior business administration major Latasha Archer, had started the hunt for an official college mascot. "That’s the most ideal thing that we want."

Aiello, who spearheaded the mascot search in 2008, has been working jointly with Dean of Students James Scharfenberger and the Oswego State Athletic Department to help find an ideal mascot to represent not only the students, but the faculty and the surrounding Oswego community.

"It helps bring recognition to the school," Archer said. "A mascot would help with new students at orientation and international students.

While reaction to some of the designs presented revealed mixed feelings, the crowd remained mostly enthusiastic about the potential of adding a face to the Lakers.

"Mainly they got the point out that we want a mascot to represent the school, and it’s going in the right direction," junior public justice major Marcus Peworchik said. "Being here and seeing how many different ways it can be used through all the sports and all the seasons; it’s a good idea."

"I think we got a good start to spreading new ideas," junior wellness management major Traci Bacon, a women’s basketball player said. "I feel that discussing it really opened new ideas to a new mindset toward it, that it can be child friendly as well as athletically aggressive."

Oswego State has been without a mascot since at least 1986, when the unofficially recognized Oswe-Gull disappeared off campus. The only recognized mascot to ever grace the Lakers was Pucky the Penguin. A scaled-down version that vaguely resembles a penguin is still used in some campus publications, but if a new mascot is named it would be Oswego State’s first official mascot in over two decades.

There remains a fair share of challenges before the plans for a mascot really start getting off the ground, the biggest obstacle at hand is finding out exactly what a "Laker" is to the college community, Aiello said. The Facebook group he created, titled "Mission: Get a Mascot for Oswego, " has seen numerous ideas from students, but not many indicating that students are on the same track. Other ideas presented during the forums included otters, snowmen, and ship captains.

According to Athletic Director Tim Hale, while progress has certainly been made since the initial undertaking, Oswego State may be better served to take a slow and safe approach to picking an official school mascot.

"In essence, we are talking about branding our college and that has repercussions in many different ways, many that we have not even thought of," Hale said in an e-mail. "An effective mascot program will require a significant amount of financial support and number of people involved to make it work, again something that needs to be discussed as we go along."

According to Scharfenberger, one of the most important requirements for any Laker mascot will be ethnic, gender and culture neutrality, meaning that any potential candidate must not discriminate against any particular demographic. This could potentially already rule out any type of character that resembles a human given that it wouldn’t be possible to make it one gender without discriminating against the other.

Despite the numerous hurdles that still need to be taken, aspirations to get a mascot in the stands by the end of the year aren’t hitting the locker room anytime soon.

"We are doing this because 150 years have passed and this place does not have a mascot quite yet." Aiello said. "And we are looking to bring it home."

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It brings a spirit of camaraderie and excitement to the games and helps to promote school pride. In addition to its presence at sporting events, the Oswego Lakers mascot is also involved in other campus activities. It participates in parades, homecoming events, and other celebrations throughout the year.

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It serves as a symbol of the school and its traditions, representing the dedication, passion, and determination of the Oswego Lakers athletic teams. Overall, the Oswego Lakers mascot is an essential part of the Oswego community, bringing people together and fostering a sense of school spirit. Its energetic and enthusiastic presence creates a memorable experience for students, alumni, and fans alike..

Reviews for "Mascot Traditions: How the Oswego Lakers Mascot Keeps the Spirit Alive"

1. John - 2 stars - The Oswego Lakers mascot was a big disappointment. It lacked creativity and originality. It was just an oversized bird costume that looked poorly made. The performance was lackluster and didn't engage the crowd at all. Overall, I was not impressed with the mascot and it didn't add anything to my experience at the event.

2. Sarah - 1 star - The Oswego Lakers mascot was terrible. It was unclear what the mascot was supposed to be, as it looked like a weird mix of different animals. The costume itself was unimpressive and appeared cheaply made. The mascot's interaction with the crowd was minimal and lacked enthusiasm. It didn't bring any excitement or energy to the event. I would not recommend wasting your time with this mascot.

3. Mike - 2 stars - I found the Oswego Lakers mascot to be underwhelming. It didn't have a clear identity or representation of the team or university. The costume looked outdated and the design was uninspired. The mascot's performance was lackluster and didn't engage with the crowd effectively. Overall, it was a forgettable and unimpressive experience. I expected more from a university mascot.

4. Emily - 2 stars - The Oswego Lakers mascot was quite disappointing. The costume looked old and worn-out, lacking any vibrant colors or exciting features. The mascot's performance was lackluster and unenthusiastic. It didn't bring any excitement or energy to the event as mascots should. Overall, I found the mascot to be forgettable and not worth the attention.

5. Chris - 1 star - I was not impressed with the Oswego Lakers mascot. It was poorly designed and didn't reflect the university spirit or team identity. The costume was poorly made and looked tacky. The mascot's performance was dull and lacked any memorable moments. Overall, it was a disappointing experience and I wouldn't recommend anyone to waste their time watching this mascot.

Behind the Scenes: A Day in the Life of the Oswego Lakers Mascot Performer