CSUN gives mascot makeover

UNLV’s beloved mascot Hey Reb! has grown a little tattered over his more than five years of service, and Jon Goldman, veteran mascot turned university studies senator, asked CSUN at their Nov. 24 meeting for help purchasing a new one.

“I’ve been 21 mascots in four years,” Goldman said.  “Normal mascots go three to four years.  This one is five years if not more.”

Hey Reb!’s hands and knees are tattered, he tips his gray felt cowboy hat when he’s not supposed to and that gigantic mustache is about to fall off.

The Alumni Association funded the mascot’s last two replacements, but this time, with the promise of a logo on Hey Reb!’s new football and basketball jerseys as well as his new red jacket, CSUN voted 15-10-0 to give $2,500 from their marketing budget to the newest version.

Our mascot stays busy, Goldman reported, claiming that the 218 events Hey Reb! will attend from April 2008 to April 2009 compared to less than 50 from fall 2002 to spring 2007 will make this Rebel deserving of a rest.

Goldman said we can expect several improvements to the classic figure this time around.  “The hat will be removable and [there will be] different hats for different sports,” he said, adding that Hey Reb!’s arms will be adjusted to make him look stronger.

“[The arms] will be revamped to show that as we get better our sports teams get better and we get stronger as a university,” Goldman explained.  “Some people think he looks mean.  We want to make sure we stay with the symbol of the university but make him appear less mean.”

Since Hey Reb! is expected to continue attempting dangerous feats like he has in the past – he has been seen holding torches in support of the UNLV Runnin’ Rebels – the new mascot costume will be flame resistant.

There was some discussion among senators and executives at the CSUN meeting as to the validity of funding a new Hey Reb! costume in light of the current budget shortfall.

Liberal arts Sen. Adrian Viesca voiced his support for the amendment that changed the request from $5,000 to cover the whole cost of a new mascot, to $2,500, the remainder to be added by other organizations.

“While I enjoy Hey Reb! and think he does a great service to the university, I don’t feel comfortable giving him the full $5,000,” Viesca said.

Student Body President Adam Cronis expressed similar concern, saying, “I don’t feel comfortable approving any amount over $1,000.  With the pressing budget challenges… I would have to veto any amount over $1,000.”

Vice President Vik Sehdev agreed, adding, “Hey Reb! only reaches 0.0035 percent of students,” and claimed that sponsoring such a narrow marketing effort would be a misuse of funds.

The senate also entertained conversation about the role of the CSUN Ways and Means Committee in the allocation of funds for student organizations.

The constitution states that the committee should be involved in the process of giving money to the groups but does not specify how.

Business Sen. David Rapaport and Manager Suzie Taylor headed the discussion and advocated making the process simple.

“We’re just trying to make it as easy as possible for CSUN to help student organizations,” Taylor said.

CSUN approved funding for the Muslim Student Association, Jest Serendipity and the Association of Pre-Health Professionals/Minority Students Science Program and voted to amend their laws to specify that funding cannot be given for leisure travel at Monday’s meeting.