The beloved Syracuse University mascot revealed a new wardrobe at the men’s basketball game Saturday.

Otto the Orange has new sneakers, different color gloves, a rounder and brighter peel, and a fancy new hat. The hat has the Syracuse ‘S’ logo on it, accompanied with a Nike swoosh.

Otto deserved the makeover. Otto works hard all throughout the year to bring joy to SU students. If he’s not riding his scooter around the Quad, he’s cheering on one of the many athletic teams or just goofing off around campus. Otto even stars in a Department of Public Safety video on campus security. Naturally, this causes wear and tear on the uniform, and it was a good time for an update.

The Nike symbol on Otto’s hat has been a topic of conversation since the uniform was revealed, and the results are mixed.

With the symbol, the hat is a large, realistic version of a lot of SU merchandise. Die-hard Syracuse and Otto fans can probably find a hat similar to the one Otto wears in the bookstore. It’s also true that the uniforms the student-athletes wear sport Nike symbols as well.

On the other hand, school spirit should not be branded or commercialized. Otto represents the entire school, not only the basketball team. Otto the Orange is the essence of school spirit at SU. School spirit at SU should not be branded or linked to Nike. The symbol is very noticeable on his costume because the hat is enlarged.

Overall, the new costume was a necessity and refreshing for the hard-working mascot. The Nike symbol, however, links the school’s mascot to a commercial brand, with which school spirit should not be associated. 

Published on January 31, 2012 at 12:00 pm

Contact: opinion@dailyorange.com