By Jared Tobaison
Grand Rapids Community College is looking to create a new mascot. The college’s previous mascot was an Indiana-Jones themed raccoon but that was retired in 2012.
Throughout the years, GRCC has been exploring different options for a school mascot. One of the options was a lion, which was inspired by the fountain on campus, but it never became the official mascot of GRCC.
Executive Director of Marketing and Communications Lyndsie Post commented on what prompted the change of mascot and what it means to the college.
“Although the lion concept never officially became our mascot, it inspired us to think about what would best symbolize GRCC’s spirit and community today. A mascot is more than just a figurehead—it plays a vital role in representing a college’s culture, pride and brand,” Post stated in an email to The Collegiate.
Picking a new mascot requires the help of the campus community. Post stated, “The mascot selection process is a collaborative and exciting journey that begins with our campus community – students, staff, faculty, alumni, retirees and donors. In the first phase, we’re inviting submissions from everyone to spark creativity and gather fresh ideas.”
After the college has collected the submissions, they will find common themes and have professional designers sketch up the top ideas. This coming fall, GRCC will be able to see the sketches and vote on their favorite. The most voted will be the new mascot.
According to Post, “Our goal is to introduce the new mascot in time for Homecoming 2025. While this is our target date, we want to make sure every step of the process is thoughtfully executed, so we’ll remain flexible and adjust the timeline if needed to ensure the mascot’s debut is a memorable moment for everyone.”
Once the new mascot is voted on, they look to add some lore and a costume to complete the full mascot.
The Collegiate asked GRCC students what it means to be a Raider and what they think the next mascot should be.
Most students expressed interest in adopting a more animal-themed mascot.
Zoe Ealazzlol, 19, of Rockford, thinks that the new mascot should be “a wolf, because wolves are noble.
I was reading about the mascot competition and it said inclusivity, noble, and resilience. And wolves look out for each other and their packs and they are resilient, and they are really noble creatures.”
Another student would like to see the college go in a more mystical direction.
Tanith Frank, 19, of Rockford, views a raider as a spartan, but thinks that the new mascot could be a “unicorn (because) I don’t think any other school has done a unicorn mascot,” looking to set GRCC out from the crowd.
With the raccoon being retired back in 2012, not a lot of students know that GRCC had a mascot. This was the case for Crystal Garcia, 18, from Grand Rapids.
Gracia went on to share her belief in what a Raider is and what she thinks of when she sees a Raider.
“I think of a gladiator. because I feel like a raider is someone who raids something,” Garcia said.
Students are able to submit suggestions on the new mascot via survey until April 18.
Collegiate reporters Ava West and Faith Ball contributed to this article.
