Move over, Prospector Pete, a famous ocean predator is taking over Cal State Long Beach.
After a months-long process to replace the former mascot, which was ousted in 2018 following years of outcry that he was offensive to indigenous people, students have selected a shark as the new face of the college, university officials announced.
After soliciting ideas for a new mascot, a university committee narrowed the options to six: Stingrays, Sharks, Pelicans, Giraffes, Kraken (a mythical sea monster) or Go Beach (essentially a vote for no mascot). Three finalists — Sharks, Stingrays and Go Beach — emerged as the final three options following a community-wide vote.
Ultimately, students selected their favorite during a three-day vote earlier this month. With 53% of the vote, sharks won by a wide margin over stingrays and the option of having no mascot at all, according to the university.
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