The fall semester brings a unique energy to college campuses as students dive into a new academic year and engage in campus events. This season, that excitement soared at Oakland Community College at a tailgate event that unveiled OCC’s new mascot—Talon the Owl.
A full crowd hoo-hoo'd Talon on as the new mascot took flight at the College’s Women’s Volleyball homeopener against Henry Ford College, Sept. 16 at the Auburn Hill’s campus. Talon replaces OCC’s former mascot, Rudy the Raider, who began his reign in 1965 when the College was founded. The original mascot drew its inspiration from the 1960s Oakland Raiders professional football team. Now, OCC students and athletic teams will be referred to as the OCC Owls.
Hatching a new mascot after nearly 60 years
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?”
OCC students responded to a request for mascot ideas with nearly 250 mascot suggestions submitted. 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.
OCC Graphic Design students come up with winning concept and illustration
Tying into OCC’s instructional programs and opportunities to provide students with real-world experience, OCC engaged Graphic Design Faculty member Peter Schade and his graphic arts students 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 brand 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 in just two weeks for their favorite mascot to represent the College,” said OCC Digital Strategist Melissa O’Leary. The Owls was voted the winner, resulting in Talon the Owl being born.
Its owl about school spirit and student success
OCC Graphic Design student Hailey Martin of Waterford illustrated and conceptualized OCC’s new Talon the Owl mascot. Her graphic style and characterization proved to be the perfect fit to represent OCC’s next generation.
“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 said that all the students who participated were winners.
“This was a great experience for my students,” Schade added. “They were able to work on a real project and 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.”
OCC Athletic Director Jamie Corona said a new mascot is a great way to bring attention to the College’s athletic teams.
“Everything our student-athletes wear on game days, including uniforms and travel gear, has our Owl mascot on it,” she said. “It’s an exciting way to start off the 24-25 athletic season and school year.”
For more information about Talon the Owl, visit Talon and catch the OCC Owl Athletics on their new webpage.
About OCC
Oakland Community College offers nearly 100 degrees and certificates programs with the resources students need to be successful and advance our community. As a top transfer institution, OCC offers one of the state’s most affordable tuition rates and flexibility in scheduling with face-to-face and online options. The College is nationally recognized for its high-demand career training with expert faculty in their fields. More than 1 million students have enrolled in the College since it opened in 1965. Learn more at oaklandcc.edu.
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Media Contact: Marketing & Communications | 248.341.2020 | contactus@oaklandcc.edu