October 9, 2014
Alex is coming home: during this weekend’s Fallcoming, Hamilton College will unveil its new official mascot. With events ranging from a “meet and greet” outside of the Sadove Student Center to appearances at various athletics events, Alex will be hard to miss.
Although Hamilton has been known as the Continentals throughout its history, the new mascot will be the first of its kind to be seen on the Hill. The mascot, dubbed “Alex,” will be a Continental soldier based on the likeness of the school’s namesake, Alexander Hamilton. He will feature the quintessential Hamilton College cane among other Hamilton-specific accessories. The new mascot is designed to build school spirit, and create a greater unity across the Hill.
Alex is a product of a cross-campus committee in consultation with an outside firm. Initial discussions around the idea of creating a coherent mascot began around five years ago, but came to a head in the last year. The committee was run by the Department of Communications and Development, but included representatives from Student Activities, the bookstore, Athletics, the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and Student Assembly. Throughout the discussions, it was clear that the mascot needed to be accessible to the entire campus and not just athletics. Assistant Vice President for Communications Mike Debraggio says, “The new mascot was created to build school spirit, and for that reason ‘Alex’ is considered a college mascot and not just an athletics mascot.”
The committee has done more than just create a new mascot though. Working with the firm of Joe Bosack and Co., Hamilton is completely overhauling its athletics image. This has included the creation of a custom font for uniforms and apparel, and a new mark to go along with the new mascot. This overhaul is designed to give greater clarity among athletics and ensure uniformity among the various teams. This goes along with recent changes to the official school colors.
Part of the decision to establish a new mascot was driven by the confusion over Al Ham, the College’s unofficial mascot. Al Ham was created for a similar purpose in the early 2000s and was maintained by Student Activities. The future of the pig is currently unknown, though Associate Dean of Students for Student Engagement and Leadership Lisa Magnarelli will keep the costume. She was unavailable for comment. Although many have believed this to be the actual mascot of the school, Al Ham is considered an “enthusiascot,” designed to bring school spirit, but not officially sanctioned by the school. Alex will give a consistent image that aligns with the name, the Continentals.
Another consideration for the mascot included having a coherent message for alumni. The new mascot will help give graduates a greater sense of school spirit. On the subject of fundraising, Debraggio told The Spectator, “Fundraising was not a factor in our thinking, but we recognize there will be interest among alumni.” Athletics is one of the greatest sources of fundraising for the school, and adding school spirit should increase the giving from former athletes.
So, be on the lookout for Alex through the next several days, and into the future. From swim meets to football games and more, he will soon be one of the most recognizable features on the Hill. You can meet Alex for the first time on Friday, Oct. 10 at 11:00a.m. on Martin’s Way outside the Sadove Student Center.
No comments yet.
Comment Guidelines
Please log in to post a comment