Now that the submissions process for the official mascot search has closed, the next stages have officially begun! That means we’re one step closer to finding out which of the hundreds of concepts will represent Long Beach State.
“My favorite part about this process so far has been seeing how genuinely excited students are about playing their part,” said ASI Vice President Leen Almahdi. “I’ve had fellow students stop me on my way to class to show me their designs. It’s so amazing knowing that folks are so invested!”
Applications officially closed on March 8 with over 350 submissions! The next step was to have the official mascot search committee go through every submission and score them based on the initial criteria laid. “In this committee, we have all constituencies represented,” said Almahdi. “And in addition to the official search committee, there will be a community poll for non-students so we can ensure all those with a passion for LBSU get a say in choosing the official mascot.”
The official search committee is made up of representatives from LBSU Athletics, the alumni board, faculty, staff, the Long Beach community, and of course, the student body.
“With this process, we’re also really trying to make sure we honor the indigenous communities on our campus,” added Almahdi. “We are truly making attempts to embody inclusivity on this campus in every decision that gets made.”
The community poll officially opened Wednesday, April 10, and will be open for two weeks. The students will vote in an official student body referendum that will take place May 6-8.
