Whooo could it be? The wise old owl has spoken.
Meet Talon, OCC’s new mascot! With its large forward-facing eyes, sharp claws and great wings, Talon is ready to rule the roost. With Talon in the house, OCC’s old mascot, Rudy the Raider, retires after nearly 60 years. The original mascot drew its inspiration from the 1960s Oakland Raiders professional football team.
As Oakland Community College approaches its 60-year anniversary, Vice Chancellor for Marketing, Communications and Admissions Elizabeth Schnell said the time was right to rethink the College’s mascot.
“The objective was to identify a mascot that embodies and aligns with the cultural values of OCC, our students, employees and community,” she said. “We felt it was very important that the mascot concepts came from the students. Who better to design the College’s mascot than the students it represents?”
Melissa O’Leary, OCC digital strategist, explained students submitted nearly 250 mascot suggestions from Fall 2022 to Spring 2023. A selection committee comprised of a cross-section of employees and students from the College then narrowed down to the field to the final three: Owls, Cobras, and Green Tide.
Graphic Design Students and Faculty Come up with Winning Concept and Illustration
To tie into OCC’s instructional programs and provide students with real-world experience, OCC engaged Peter Schade, Graphic Design Faculty, and his Graphic Arts students studying brand identity to conceptualize and design the mascot. The OCC mascot assignment project was part of the Fall 2023 course curriculum which dovetailed into the applied principles of identity and graphics.
Schade said his role was to collect all the objectives from the mascot committee and present it to OCC graphic design students as a design contest. The contest was offered to 25 students in the design class and seven students entered mascot designs.
“With the concepts in, we took the final three designs to our students and employees to vote. The competition was exciting with more than 3,000 votes for their favorite mascot to represent the College,” said O’Leary.
OCC Student Hailey Martin’s owl design selected as the winning theme.
OCC Graphic Design student Hailey Martin is leaving her mark on OCC. Martin illustrated and conceptualized OCC’s new mascot, Talon the Owl. Her graphic style and characterization proved to be the perfect fit to represent OCC’s next generation.
Martin, a Waterford resident, said she feels honored that her design was chosen.
“This contest was such a fun and incredible opportunity for me to get a glimpse into how the industry operates,” she said. “I plan to continue to pursue a degree in Graphic Design, with my dream job being character design. Genuinely, my main wish is that the owl will be able to bring unification and joy for future generations."
Schade emphasizes that all students who participated were winners in his eyes.
“This was a great experience for my students,” he said. “They were able to work on a real project. They got the opportunity to stretch themselves into the professional world. I told them even if their mascot design was not selected, it still looks good on their resume.”
He adds that the OCC Graphic Design Program is built on students learning skills to be marketable.
“The mascot project supports this direction,” he said. “All students involved benefited from this real-world experience."
Ruling the Roost
Jamie Corona, OCC athletic director, said a new mascot is a great way to bring attention to the College’s athletic teams.
“Everything the athletes wear, in game uniforms, travel gear, etc. has our mascot on it,” she said. “We think a new mascot is an exciting way to start off the 24-25 athletic season and school year.”
The winning design was unveiled on Valentine’s Day. Talon the Owl will officially rule the College roost beginning Fall 2024 at sporting events and activities throughout campus.
About OCC
Offering nearly 100 degrees and certificates, OCC is Michigan’s largest multi-campus community college and one of the top transfer institutions in the state. The College provides academic, career training and enriching experiences, designed to empower students to reach their potential and enhance our community. More than 1 million students have enrolled in the College since it opened in 1965. A seven-person Board of Trustees governs OCC. Board members are elected on a non-partisan, at-large basis, serve as volunteers and are not paid. Mission statement: OCC is committed to empowering our students to succeed and advancing our community. Learn more at oaklandcc.edu.
Media Contact: Marketing & Communications | (248) 341-2020 | contactus@oaklandcc.edu