The Best Worst College Mascots

Elise Park

As application deadlines rapidly approach, it’s hard not to think about college. From the UCLA Bruins to USC Trojans, mascots are one of the first things we associate with a school. Since they are practically all I look at these days, here are five of the best worst college mascots I’ve seen!

1. Speedy the Geoduck

I’m not sure what a geoduck is, or why Evergreen State College would choose it as their mascot, but there’s something awfully compelling about Speedy’s green shell and goofy smile. The goal of their mascot was to differentiate the innovative Evergreen College from traditional schools, although many agree it didn’t need to be this different.

2. Keggy the Keg

The unofficial mascot of Dartmouth College is a literal keg. While the tin can is somewhat off-putting, Keggy perfectly encapsulates Dartmouth’s famous drinking culture and is one of the most memorable mascots out on the field.

3. WuShock

WuShock, the proud representative of Wichita State University, is an angry bundle of wheat. From his furrowed brows to his strange yellow pigtails, this mascot has to be one of the scariest.

4. The Stanford Tree

Of all possibilities, Stanford picked a tree to represent them. Despite choosing such a common plant, there’s quite the variety, from the weeping willow to the classic redwood. There’s also a special tree that boasts bright poinsettia flowers for leaves during Christmas.

5. Oski the Bear

While cute at first glance, Oski’s overly wide grin and unblinking eyes are sure to threaten anyone playing UC Berkeley. Oski was chosen to represent the state animal, the golden grizzly, but it’s debatable whether this was properly achieved.