From Blue Herons to the Tritons, How you can help decide on FSCJ's new mascot

Beth Reese Cravey, Jacksonville Florida Times-Union
·3 min read
Florida State College at Jacksonville downtown offices
Florida State College at Jacksonville downtown offices

Black Bears or Bucks? Blue Herons or River Hawks? Fiddler Crabs or Manta Rays?

Florida State College at Jacksonville wants the community's help choosing a mascot.

A group of student leadership, faculty and staff submitted ideas, voted on nearly 100 nominations and narrowed the field to 25, according to spokeswoman Jill Johnson. Now they have opened online voting to the public to select three finalists.

Choose wisely: The mascot must be inclusive and unique, fun and energetic, applicable not just to athletics but to the overall school, able to bond everyone involved and "feel like FSCJ, representing first and foremost the students and future opportunities," among other criteria set by the college.

For reference, other local college mascots are the University of North Florida Ospreys, the Jacksonville University Dolphins and the St. Johns River State College Vikings.

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What are the choices for FSCJ mascot?

  • Admiral

  • Black Bear

  • Blue Heron

  • Blue Marlin

  • Buck

  • Commander

  • Fiddler Crab

  • Griffin

  • Hammerhead

  • Kingfish

  • Krakan

  • Mako

  • Manta Ray

  • Neptune

  • Pelican

  • Phoenix

  • Raptor

  • River Hawk

  • Sea Dragon

  • Sea Wolf

  • Sting Ray or Ray

  • Swordfish

  • Tiger Shark

  • Triton

  • Other

Why does FSCJ want a mascot?

"We believe now is the time to bring this idea to life," said John Avendano, president since 2019. "In speaking with students, faculty, staff, alumni and community partners, one consistent theme emerged: A mascot would be a wonderful way to unify the college and celebrate all we have to offer."

Involving the public in the voting acknowledges that "FSCJ is the community’s college," he said. "This open selection process allows all stakeholders to play a part in our future."

What will happen to FSCJ's BlueWave brand?

This is the BlueWave volleyball court at Florida State College at Jacksonville's South Campus.
This is the BlueWave volleyball court at Florida State College at Jacksonville's South Campus.

FSCJ athletic teams were formerly known as the Stars, before changing to the BlueWave ahead of the 2012-13 school year. But that latest name "never really took hold," Johnson said, and is "not representative of the entire student body."

After the mascot is selected, use of BlueWave will be discontinued. It was "never an issue" of the political party connotations often associated with the phrases blue wave or red wave, she said.

What did Florida State College at Jacksonville used to be called?

FSCJ started life in 1965 as Florida Junior College with 2,610 students and in 1986 changed its name to Florida Community College at Jacksonville.

Is FSCJ a four-year college?

In 2009, after receiving accreditation to offer baccalaureate degrees, the college became a four-year state institution and adopted the current name.

Who are notable FSCJ alumni?

Alumni include U.S Rep. John Rutherford, a former Jacksonville sheriff; Kevin O'Sullivan, head baseball coach for the Florida Gators; former professional basketball player Alvin Heggs; and former state Sen. Audrey Gibson, now head of the city's grants division. Also, entertainer Tim McGraw attended for one semester.

Does FSCJ have sports?

FSCJ has men's baseball, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's cross country, women's volleyball, women's beach volleyball and women's softball.

There are also intramural activities including flag football, soccer, basketball, billiards, table tennis and kickball.

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The mascot will represent those athletic programs and the college as a whole. It will be "a visual representation of the FSCJ spirit for various college-wide events and activities," Avendano said. "We are excited to expand the mascot’s presence to merchandise, signage and branding materials at some point as well.”

How does the public vote?

Voting is online at fscj.edu/mascot through Nov. 10. Each voter can make three choices. The top-three will be announced in January after the school's holiday break.

Then the community, students, faculty and staff will vote again and select their final preference. The winner will be announced in late spring or early fall 2024, Johnson said.

bcravey@jacksonville.com, (904) 359-4109

Clayton Freeman contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Florida State College at Jacksonville is getting a new FSCJ mascot