Mascot Madness 2021 – Region 3: Meet the Competitors

It’s been a most unusual year, but Mascot Madness is back! From march 16 to April 7, 33 of our SUNY mascots are once again competing for the title of New York’s favorite college mascot.

Those lovable characters that help our schools and campuses thrive have been hard at work keeping students safe and happy from limited on-campus study to remote learning throughout 2020 and into 2021. What has kept them in top working condition this whole time? We’ve interviewed them all to get caught up with things like how each deals with school operations changing to what they hope for most in the future.

Below we have Region 3.

Victor E. Knight | Blue | Tripp the Thunderwolf | Stinger | Blaze | The Colt | Falco | Roody Roo

Victor E. Knight – SUNY Geneseo

1. Who are you and where do you work?
Victor E. Knight, the SUNY Geneseo Mascot. 

2. How have you stayed busy during the COVID-19 pandemic?
Drinking lots of water, walking, taking vitamins, and reading history books.

3. What sport/activity do you miss cheering your students on in most?
All of them, and especially hockey!

4. Favorite TV show/movie you binged during quarantine?
Parks and Recreation

5. What quarantine meal did you learn to make to help keep you strong and healthy?
Veggie spaghetti in a light tomato sauce.

6. Share your best tip to make the most out of a Zoom class or meeting.
Turn your video on and stay awake.

7. Who are you looking forward to competing against the most?
Hint – it’s red and breathes fire.

8. Who do you most want to enjoy a meal with when it’s safe to do so again?
Lucky Bronco from SUNY Delhi—I like horses, and I think it would be great to get something we could share on the go.

9. What has your school done best to get through 2020 and be ready for 2021?
We have watched our distance, washed our hands, and worn face masks in public spaces. #shieldsup

10. Share your favorite joke.
What do you call an owl with armor? A knight owl!

Blue the Bluebird – SUNY Empire State College

1. Who are you and where do you work?
My name is Blue, and I work for SUNY Empire State College. Although when you love your job as much as I do, it almost feels weird to call it “work.”

2. How have you stayed busy during the COVID-19 pandemic?
Because we’re SUNY’s premiere online and hybrid-learning institution, life didn’t change a whole lot for me. Sure, my travel was reduced due to the pandemic, but SUNY Empire continued providing world-class online education, just as we’ve done since 1995. Although I wasn’t able to travel the state to visit SUNY Empire’s locations, I stayed plenty busy online — attending student programming and eSports matches, as well as regular meetings with our alumni, student success, events, and communications and marketing offices. I even helped out with the launch of our new informational chatbot, “Ask Blue,” and I put in regular appearances at our monthly socially distanced drive-up donation events.

3. What sport/activity do you miss cheering your students on in most?
As a non-traditional college with a statewide footprint, SUNY Empire doesn’t pack stadiums or gymnasiums. But we do pack a punch when it comes to eSports, so during the COVID-19 pandemic, we didn’t skip a beat. And I don’t miss a match—from Call of Duty to Valorant. You’ll find me online cheering on our ECAC eSports athletes

4. Favorite TV show/movie you binged during quarantine?

I couldn’t wait to settle in and watch Lady Bird with a big bucket of buttered mealworms. I was disappointed to find out that it’s not about a lady bird at all. The mealworms, however, were fantastic. But I digress. I’m currently binging “The Life of Birds,” a BBC documentary series about my feathered friends. Footage spans 42 countries and more than 300 bird species. It’s pure eye candy. It’s “Rio” for adults.

5. What quarantine meal did you learn to make to help keep you strong and healthy?
I have perfected a mealworm-and-peanut-butter suet that will bring you to tears.

You combine 16 ounces of dried mealworms, 1 cup of lard, 1 cup of crunchy peanut butter, 1/3 cup of sugar, 1 cup of whole wheat flour, 2 cups of oatmeal, 2 cups of cornmeal, and 1 ½ cups of raisins. Put the raisins in a sauce pan and add water to cover. Bring to boil, then remove the pan from heat and let the raisins cool. Drain the water and cut the raisins in half. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the mealworms, flour, oatmeal, and cornmeal. In a small sauce pan on low heat, melt the lard, peanut butter, and sugar. Pour the liquid mixture into the dry ingredients and mix well. Add raisins.

If your kids are like mine and don’t like raisins, you can substitute insect larvae or spiders. Paired with a couple of sips of lukewarm birdbath water? You can’t beat it. Try it, and let me know what you think!

6. Share your best tip to make the most out of a Zoom class or meeting.
It’s all about the background. (It’s also about hiding your messy nest.) And when your college loves you as much as SUNY Empire loves me, they create a background featuring your likeness. It’s one of our students’ most popular background choices, and my three little fledglings think it’s a hoot. I may or may not have this framed in our family nest: [picture from submission]

7. Who are you looking forward to competing against the most?
This is my first Mascot Madness competition, so I’m looking forward to competing against everyone.

8. Who do you most want to enjoy a meal with when it’s safe to do so again?
I’m really excited to sit down with SUNY Empire’s Officer in Charge Dr. Nathan Gonyea. He transitioned to the role in the middle of the pandemic, and although we Zoom quite frequently on work-related matters, I can’t wait to invite him to my nest for a huge helping of that mealworm-and-peanut-butter suet I was telling you about—and to toss around ideas for making higher education more accessible and affordable for students at any stage of life across New York state. It may sound like work, but it’s something we’re both passionate about.

9. What has your school done best to get through 2020 and be ready for 2021?
Despite the physical distance between us, we pulled together like never before to give support to those in need. We sewed masks, donated money, held statewide food, toy, and pet-supply drives, and planted a memorial garden for those who lost loved ones to COVID-19. We also volunteered time to provide emotional support to those battling COVID, grieving the loss of loved ones, or feeling overwhelmed by the disruptions to everyday life. We established a fund for students suffering financial impacts from the pandemic, and we established family-friendly ways to bring our students together and relieve stress through virtual meditation workshops, cooking demos, trivia nights, and virtual scavenger hunts. We gave and received good vibes, and we’re heading into the spring and summer months with hope and optimism.

10. Share your favorite joke.
Ugh. My friend was annoying me with all his bird jokes. But then I realized toucan play at that game.
 

Tripp the Thunderwolf – Niagara County Community College

1. Who are you and where do you work?
Tripp the Thunderwolf and I work at Niagara County Community College.

2. How have you stayed busy during the COVID-19 pandemic?
I’ve been expanding my collection of sweatpants, binge watching all of my favorite movies, including Call of the Wild, Dances with Wolves, Teen Wolf, and Twilight, and gaining my quarantine 19 by snacking on my favorite foods from the Niagara Falls Culinary Institute.

3. What sport/activity do you miss cheering your students on in most?
Luckily all of our basketball games are live streamed, so I’m able to watch them virtually.

4. Favorite TV show/movie you binged during quarantine?
See above, plus Schitt’s Creek…it’s simply the best!

5. What quarantine meal did you learn to make to help keep you strong and healthy?
Macaroni and cheese and my special technique is to “fold in the cheese.”

6. Share your best tip to make the most out of a Zoom class or meeting.
Business on top and pj’s on the bottom!

7. Who are you looking forward to competing against the most?
That damn acorn….he’s always winning!

8. Who do you most want to enjoy a meal with when it’s safe to do so again?
I can’t wait to dine again with Santa at our annual breakfast with Santa at Gingerbread Wonderland.

9. What has your school done best to get through 2020 and be ready for 2021?
Our students and staff have been flexible and pivoted quickly to move to online learning when needed in order to keep everyone socially distanced and safe. This makes me wanna HOWL!

10. Share your favorite joke.
Why did the wolf stay in the shade? So he doesn’t become a hotdog.

Stinger – Broome Community College

1. Who are you and where do you work?
Hi, I represent SUNY Broome Community College as Stinger, the Queen Hornet of school spirit, all things black and gold and the heart of #HornetPride.

2. How have you stayed busy during the COVID-19 pandemic?
I’ve kept myself buzzy during the COVID-19 pandemic with a mixture of hornet-style martial arts, which includes a lot of wing flapping and stinging techniques. I also do a lot of weight lifting and mindfulness meditation. Keeping a fit mind and body is important if you want to perform your best on the field and in the classroom!

3. What sport/activity do you miss cheering your students on in most?
I miss cheering for our soccer, volleyball, and basketball teams, those games always had the great fans. But, now we have the new eSports team; I can tune in and cheer for our athletes virtually! You can too! They stream all their games live on Twitch! Check them out at twitch.tv/broomeesports.

4. Favorite TV show/movie you binged during quarantine?
I watched all of ‘The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’ on Amazon. It was filmed close to SUNY Broome and I know some faculty and staff on campus who appeared as extras in the show and some of the stars of the show even came to Binghamton to eat in our amazing locally-owned restaurants. How cool!

5. What quarantine meal did you learn to make to help keep you strong and healthy?
I saw on the SUNY Broome Culinary & Event Center Facebook that the Specialty Cuisines class prepared some iconic Korean dishes including Bulgogi Beef. I love this dish. I like to prepare it with brown rice and extra vegetables. It takes a lot of energy to keep up with Hornet fans cheering on our students. Especially with a giant head that’s shaped like mine; staying healthy and having the energy I need is important!

6. Share your best tip to make the most out of a Zoom class or meeting.
I like to use the ‘raise your hand’ and chat features on Zoom meetings. Since I can’t talk, this feature has been useful when I have questions or ideas that I want to share with the group. I also like to change up my scenery by putting different background filters on. I have ones from my favorite spots on campus like the Baldwin Gym and the Natural Science Center Building.

7. Who are you looking forward to competing against the most?
I am most looking forward to competing against TC3 Panthers. We’re in the same division and it’s always a good time when we compete against each other!

8. Who do you most want to enjoy a meal with when it’s safe to do so again?
When it is safe to do so again, I’m really hoping to enjoy a meal with Baxter the Bearcat, being located so close to each other, I used to see him a lot at local mascot events like the Dick’s Sporting Goods Open, Mascot Mania with the Rumble Ponies, and College Night with the Binghamton Devils Hockey Team.

9. What has your school done best to get through 2020 and be ready for 2021?
SUNY Broome has done an amazing job providing resources and strategies to help students get through 2020 and ready for 2021. The creation of our ‘Reopening the Hive’ website provides up-to-date information on what students need to know about returning to campus and staying safe. There, students find information on screenings, campus modifications and improvements and where to go if you need to get support online and on-campus. We also did an incredible job with making safety accommodations on campus and transitioning to remote classes. Our faculty and students rock!

10. Share your favorite joke.
What do hornet instructors give to students on the first day of class? A sylla-buzz.

Blaze – Onondaga Community College

1. Who are you and where do you work?
My name is Blaze and I work at Onondaga Community College cheering on all OCC Lazers as their mascot.

2. How have you stayed busy during the COVID-19 pandemic?
Well, at first like everyone else I was working from home and was just trying to stay sane by Zooming with my friends, working out a little bit, and supporting our first responders when I could. Once campus reopened in June, I got really busy helping to promote proper mask wearing on our campus and try to bring happiness to our community as we go through this tough time.

3. What sport/activity do you miss cheering your students on in most?
I miss any chance I had before the pandemic to cheer on our Lazers. But if I had to pick, I would say I miss our Lacrosse teams the most! There was always so much energy at those games. Our national championship winning men’s lacrosse team especially brought lots of energy to their games.

4. Favorite TV show/movie you binged during quarantine?
Tiger King! Hands down favorite. If you had told me a month before my favorite thing about life in March would be that show, I wouldn’t have believed you.

5. What quarantine meal did you learn to make to help keep you strong and healthy?
I did a lot of healthy braising dishes and spent a lot of time googling “healthy comfort food”. I found some pretty interesting recipes!

6. Share your best tip to make the most out of a Zoom class or meeting.
Turn your camera on. I hated it at first too! All I wanted to do during quarantine was just sit there with the camera off. But once I turned my camera on, I found myself engaging better and it’s made all the difference.

7. Who are you looking forward to competing against the most?
If I had to pick, I’d say Oakie the Acorn! I still have beef with that nut last time he beat us in Mascot Madness! I’m coming for your Oakie!

8. Who do you most want to enjoy a meal with when it’s safe to do so again?
I always love eating meals with our student government officers and our Lazer athletes! I miss seeing them on a regular basis.

9. What has your school done best to get through 2020 and be ready for 2021?
As we’ve always done, we’ve offered more personalized and individualized support to students so that they have the help they need with their education. We plan to continue that now and into the future!

10. Share your favorite joke.
Why did the chicken cross the road? To go to Onondaga Community College!

The Colt – Orange County Community College

1. Who are you and where do you work?
I’m THE COLT and I work at SUNY Orange!

2. How have you stayed busy during the COVID-19 pandemic?
Getting lots of fresh air, socially distancing on the sports fields, sourcing masks with very long ear loops!

3. What sport/activity do you miss cheering your students on in most?
With the pandemic ANY activity should be applauded, and I miss them ALL!

4. Favorite TV show/movie you binged during quarantine?
BoJack Horseman speaks to me for some reason.

5. What quarantine meal did you learn to make to help keep you strong and healthy?
Cooking with hooves is tricky: Oatmeal! It’s simple to make, it’s good for you, and it keeps you WARM!

6. Share your best tip to make the most out of a Zoom class or meeting.
Turn the camera on! Communication isn’t just verbal. And then explain: YES, you’re really there. YES, you are a horse, and NO, you don’t have a filter on.

7. Who are you looking forward to competing against the most?
Whoever dares!

8. Who do you most want to enjoy a meal with when it’s safe to do so again?
Whoever dares!

9. What has your school done best to get through 2020 and be ready for 2021?
Be flexible to rapidly changing conditions, and keeping one goal in mind always: Helping the students.

10. Share your favorite joke.
A horse walks into a bar. The bartender asks “Why the long face?” The horse does not respond because it is a horse. It can neither speak nor understand English. It is confused by its surroundings and gallops out of the bar, knocking over a few tables.

Falco – Dutchess Community College

1. Who are you and where do you work?
I’m Falco and I’m here to represent Dutchess Community College!

2. How have you stayed busy during the COVID-19 pandemic?
In the beginning I played a lot of Animal Crossing. A LOT. Recently I’ve been trying new things like taking Ukulele lessons through our Academy of Music and learning to fly drones.

3. What sport/activity do you miss cheering your students on in most?
I miss dancing with students. We used to break it down on the campus walkway. Ahh, those were good times.

4. Favorite TV show/movie you binged during quarantine?
There were so many great series! Tiger King, The Mandalorian, The Queen’s Gambit, WandaVision…I can’t pick just one!

5. What quarantine meal did you learn to make to help keep you strong and healthy?
Bread. I’ve got a sourdough rising in the fridge right now!

6. Share your best tip to make the most out of a Zoom class or meeting.
Make sure you don’t have any filters on during an important meeting. You don’t want to show up looking like a cat!

7. Who are you looking forward to competing against the most?
I am looking forward to competing against Walter T. Wildcat this year. We had a great time in 2019 and I have a few new tricks of my sleeve.

8. Who do you most want to enjoy a meal with when it’s safe to do so again?
I can’t wait to chow down with my friends in the Student Government Association.

9. What has your school done best to get through 2020 and be ready for 2021?
We made sure that students who are on campus can get tested quickly and easily.

10. Share your favorite joke.
I went to a zoo and there was a baguette in a cage. The keeper said, “It was bread in captivity.”

Roody Roo – SUNY Canton

1. Who are you and where do you work?
I’m Roody Roo, the only kangaroo to work at SUNY Canton.

2. How have you stayed busy during the COVID-19 pandemic?
I’ve been supporting on our eSports teams in the SUNY League and in the ECAC

3. What sport/activity do you miss cheering your students on in most?
I miss cheering on SUNY Canton’s golf and cross-country teams!

4. Favorite TV show/movie you binged during quarantine?
Captain Kangaroo

5. What quarantine meal did you learn to make to help keep you strong and healthy?
My diet consists primarily of grasses, flowers, leaves, ferns, and moss with the occasional insect for protein.

6. Share your best tip to make the most out of a Zoom class or meeting.
Make sure you bounce around BEFORE you sit down for the meeting. I’ve made that mistake more than once.

7. Who are you looking forward to competing against the most?
Oaky Acorn from ESF and Wolfie the Seawolf from Stony Brook University.

8. Who do you most want to enjoy a meal with when it’s safe to do so again?
Chicken fingers with our students at Chaney Dining Center.

9. What has your school done best to get through 2020 and be ready for 2021?
Our students are very good at wearing masks and the college’s online classes are great!

10. Share your favorite joke.
What do you call two kangaroos who live together? Roo-mates!