Contact:

Jason Foster
SDSU Marketing & Communications
T. (619) 594-2585, Pager: (619) 620-1184
E. foster@mail.sdsu.edu

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Committee Formed to Oversee Creation of New SDSU Mascot
Public Meeting to Seek Input Scheduled for Tuesday, April 30

SAN DIEGO, Tuesday, April 23, 2002 — A committee has been formed and a design firm retained to develop a new mascot for SDSU, the university announced Tuesday.

Members of the committee will hold a public meeting on Tuesday, April 30, at 2 p.m., in the Aztec Athletics Center, located on 55th Street across from Cox Arena, to receive input and suggestions for a new mascot. Students, faculty, staff, alumni and members of the public are invited to participate. Parking will be available in Parking Structure 5, located under the Sports Deck at the northwest corner of 55th Street and Montezuma Boulevard. Suggestions may also be e-mailed to newmascot@sdsu.edu. Feedback may also be left at www.sdsu.edu/identity. The Web site has more information about the Aztec identity issue.

The mascot committee's members are: Steve Schnall, director of marketing and promotions for Aztec Athletics; Dennis Cushman, SDSU associate vice president of Marketing and Communications; Josh Miller, representing the Associated Students Council; Akbar Gbajabiamila, representing student athletes; Maria Butler, professor of Chicana and Chicano Studies, and Janet Esser, professor of Latin American Studies, representing faculty; Craig Nelson, representing the Aztec Athletic Foundation; Bruce Ives, representing the SDSU Alumni Association; and Tiffany Pizzi, representing the Aztec Cheer Squad. Schnall and Cushman are committee co-chairs.

The committee will oversee the work of Osaki Design, retained by the university to design a new mascot. Kurt Osaki, principal of Osaki Design of Berkeley, will lead the firm's work for SDSU. Osaki is also designing new logos for Aztec Athletics.

The committee serves in an advisory capacity to SDSU President Stephen L. Weber, who will make the final decision on a new mascot.

"A mascot is a vital part of any Division I university," Weber said. "The Task Force on Aztec Identity strongly encouraged the university to develop a new mascot, and the time is now right to move forward on that initiative."

Weber has asked that a new mascot be readied for the upcoming 2002 Aztec football season.

Weber said the mascot committee should utilize the mascot recommendations of the Task Force as guidelines for its work. Among the Task Force's findings and recommendations:

• Utilize a mascot, other than Montezuma, that is an appropriate figure from Aztec culture.
  
  
• It may be appropriate to use humans as mascots, depending upon how they are portrayed. Any human mascot must wear authentic and accurate attire as befitting the individual he/she represents.
  
  
• Use of headdress, weapons (such as spears) and other parts of the mascot's regalia must also be representative of items that would actually have been used by the person(s) the mascot is designed to depict.
  
  
• Dancing and other behavior displayed by the mascot must also befit the person(s) the mascot is designed to represent.

The mascot committee is the latest step in transforming the symbolism used to represent the university's Aztec affiliation. In November 2000, Weber announced the university would retain its affiliation with Aztec culture and traditions and would continue to use Montezuma as a symbol of SDSU. Weber convened the Task Force on Aztec Identity — comprising representatives appointed by the leaders of the Associated Students, the University Senate, the Alumni Association, and by Weber — to review San Diego State's logos and depictions of Montezuma and make recommendations regarding the appropriateness or inappropriateness of how SDSU uses Aztec symbols in its logos and mascot.

In May 2001, following a broad-based campus discussion that involved thousands of students, faculty, staff, alumni, supporters and friends of SDSU, Weber decided that Montezuma would not continue to serve as the university's mascot. Instead, Montezuma was elevated to a new role as Aztec Ambassador for San Diego State University, where he continues to serve as a
symbol of Aztec pride, valor, strength, diversity and intellectual achievement. Ambassador Montezuma has made dozens of presentations to elementary and middle schools throughout the county.

Weber also approved the Task Force recommendation that red-skinned logos be eliminated and replaced by new logos. New logos for Aztec Athletics are expected to be unveiled later this summer.

San Diego State University is the oldest and largest higher education institution in the San Diego region. Since its founding in 1897, SDSU has grown to offer bachelor's degrees in 78 areas, master's degrees in 61 areas and doctorates in 13. SDSU's more than 34,000 students participate in academic curricula distinguished by direct contact with faculty and an increasing international emphasis that prepares them for a global future. For more information, visit www.sdsu.edu.

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