The redwoods, banana slugs and epic sunsets. How much better can a university campus get? Not a lot. Banana slugs are the charming little creatures that represent the University of California, Santa Cruz. Being a Banana Slug is something to celebrate, with all of the amazing opportunities and experiences our campus and community have to offer.
Many have wondered, "Why a Banana Slug? How did that happen? When did it all begin?" A lot of people conclude that the Banana Slug was just a silly or fun mascot that UCSC decided to have. However, the truth behind the story is a little bit more than just that.
In the 1980s, the unofficial mascot was the Banana Slug. The Chancellor at that time, Robert Shinseimer, however, decided to display a new mascot— Sea Lions. He even made a sea lion statue in the science and engineering area. Students retaliated. They claimed that the Banana Slug was a perfect representation of our school since it was the most common organism seen around campus. Five years passed and the decision between the two mascots remained unchanged. They agreed to put the decision to a straw vote, which ended with an overwhelming majority preferring the Banana Slug. In 1986, the Banana Slug was officially named the mascot of UCSC. T-shirts were even made that read, "No-known Predator" since Banana Slugs are known to have none. As a reminder of the decision in 1986, students created a tradition; they would annually paint the sea lion statute yellow. It's 2015 and the tradition lives on.
Although UCSC has only been around for 50 years, we've become a very diverse campus community. Along with our beautiful redwood forest and killer views, we have traditions to uphold and celebrate. The Banana Slug representing who we are is one of the most important ideas when it comes to UCSC and its students. A no-known predator mollusk, whose yellow appearance can be mistaken for a banana peel on the ground, is what our school is known for; Banana Slugs. Therefore, we will continue to be the bright yellow little slugs and achieve anything we believe the world has to offer us.
