<p>You don’t know much about UCSC’s history in regards to the mascot, do you?</p>
<p>The slug was chosen originally, as someone mentioned, as sort of an anti-mascot. From UCSC’s official page on the matter:
It was a joke that developed into a point of pride when it was threatened to be taken away. When UCSC joined the NCAA, the chancellor at the time attempted to change the mascot to a sea lion. Students rebelled and it was brought to a vote: the banana slug won by a large margin.</p>
<p>The banana slug and the tale of how it came to be the official mascot is an incredible representation of students standing for an issue and succeeding. It might not be the most important, world-changing type of issue, but the spirit of students standing for something they strongly believe in is something that can’t be denied as awesome. Plus it’s just plain cool to have a mascot native to the campus ;)</p>
<p>hello people, banana slug = school that doesn’t care (or historically didnt, anyways) about big, macho, sports teams or big, macho mascots. it wasn’t like an accident. duh.</p>
<p>edit: ha i wrote this before i saw that this issue had been addressed. lo siento.</p>
<p>I never claimed to have absolute knowledge about it, no need to be condescending. I still think that the sea lion would’ve been much better though. As for the students “spirit” and how they passionately wanted the slug, I just don’t buy it. Sounds more like a joke from a relatively small but motivated group to me</p>
<p>I think what UCSC students did with the banana slug was cool. </p>
<p>I think the worst mascot has to UCSD. I mean it’s an inanimate object. It’s a cool weapon but it’s value is derived purely from someone using it otherwise it’s a piece of scrap metal. </p>
<p>Now if UCSD change their mascot to Poseidon, that would be sick.</p>
<p>@eyethink: Triton (the UCSD mascot) is also a greek god, the son of Poseidon. I think you’re thinking of the weapon, a trident, if I’m not mistaking?</p>
There is no “aggie” mascot. The Davis mascot is a mustang and its name is Gun Rock. “Aggie” is just a general term for UC Davis students. It has nothing to do with the mascot.</p>
<p>Lotus7:
Scrotie is hilarious! They are able to get some of the craziest chants out of that mascot. I also find Evergreen’s geoduck mascot to be quite amusing.</p>
<p>I liked the original misspelling SF State had planned for their mascot. It was a neat idea (gaters instead of gators to be a play on the Golden Gate) that made a rather unoriginal mascot much more interesting, but the misspellings were corrected so much that the real spelling finally stuck :(</p>
<p>BrianSuperTramp:
I was not being condescending. I was asking a legitimate question about the research you had performed to reach your conclusion about the sea lion being a “better mascot.” Your statement about it being only a “few motivated students” only serves to support that you have done no research despite the fact I have now provided you with a link. It was the majority of the campus population that supported the banana slug. The sea lion mascot was the one with the fewest supporters before the vote proved this fact.</p>
<p>I am proud to be a banana slug and would have been sorely disappointed if we were some silly sea lion. While there is nothing wrong in general with a sea lion, it would have represented a huge defeat to the spirit of UCSC if it had won the mascot battle. I would be quite tickled if they ever decided to permanently paint the sea lion statue still on campus a bright yellow ;)</p>
<p>I do quite like UCI’s anteater mascot. The tie to the B.C. comic is quite entertaining :)</p>
<p>Oh trust me I know. I’ve read and thoroughly enjoyed Max Boot’s Savage Wars of Peace. </p>
<p>But as for title of greatest infantry in the history of human existence, I’m sorry but that title is going to…</p>
<p>Alexander The Great’s Phalanx. I mean the only thing that could withstand the inevitability of its doom-bringing march were elephants LOL</p>
<p>Besides, I’ve never really thought of the Marines as a traditional infantry force. They are more of an expeditionary force designed for rapid landings and lay force of fire on enemy combatants.</p>
<p>^haha, funny! elephants and an army with swords and spears. All the USMC needs is a couple of mortars and gunners. mow em all down.</p>
<p>and yes, the marine corps is a military branch under the navy, but their infantry still holds as the most bad ass and destructive human force on the face of this earth and human existence.</p>
<p>and i think the UCI anteater mascot is pretty cool as well.</p>
<p>My favorite is UCSD Tritons. I think I’m going to be rejected from UCSD, but their mascot is awesome. </p>
<p>My least favorite is the anteater, and possibly the bears. I just don’t like anteaters and bears are overdone. I actually like UCSC’s mascot, and agree that it is meant to be the anti-mascot. Davis’ mascot confuses me. I hear it is supposed to be the mustangs, but they call themselves the Aggies (as in agriculturists). Mustangs are cool, agriculturists not so much. Bobcats are pretty neat too!</p>
<p>I did some reading and concede you the point, I guess I just had the poor slug misunderstood XD. You gotta admit though, at first glance it seems like a practical joke</p>