Is it a bird? Is it a plane? It’s the UHCL Hawks!

Laura Figueroa
The Signal
After 38 years in existence, the University of Houston-Clear Lake has finally selected its first official mascot: the UHCL Hawks.

Although a visual of the official mascot image is still in the works, the decision to become the Hawks is final.

“It’s great to know we now have a mascot to represent us,” said Karina Garza, education major.

With the approval of UHCL President Williams Staples, the Mascot Leadership Team took on the task of establishing an official mascot.

“The Mascot Leadership Team, as well as the Mascot Advisory Team, and many students, faculty and community friends who participated in several surveys worked hard to narrow the selections to make the process a little easier for me,” Staples said. “However, making the final decision was an arduous one. Ultimately, like the Mascot Leadership Team, I felt the hawk reflected the natural beauty of the campus as well as the historical relationship to the Alumni Association’s hawk logo from the 1980s. It also represented characteristics that are desirable of a mascot for UHCL: courageous, dynamic and adventurous.”

The mascot selection was a five-phase process that began in the fall of 2010. During phase I, the UHCL community was invited to submit their mascot ideas to the Mascot Leadership Team. During phase II, the UHCL community was asked to submit graphic images of the mascot options. In phase III, the Mascot Leadership Team refined the mascot image that was selected. During phase IV, the UHCL community was invited to cast their vote on the refined image and lastly, phase V, the official mascot is revealed to the UHCL community. The Mascot Leadership Team was facilitated by Theresa Presswood, executive director of communications.

UHCL community members submitted votes to select a mascot and image through an online survey form.

“Out of thousands of submissions and a vetting process, the UHCL community (students, employees, alumni and community) voted and the top four were identified,” said David Rachita, interim dean of students. “The hawk, buck, blue heron and egret were the results, and a call for images went out.”

Once the mascot selection was finalized, the UHCL community was asked to vote on a mascot image to represent The Hawks. A winner was selected and the image was sent to a professional marketing firm for final touches. This process is still pending completion.

The mascot image is expected to be revealed to the UHCL community in fall 2012.

Without an official image of the mascot, the university is unable to begin marketing it on school merchandise, but soon the UHCL Hawks will be displayed and seen throughout campus on school items such as shirts, souvenirs and other merchandise sold at the UHCL Bookstore.

There is already one image that is displayed on campus that is recognizable and memorable; its name is Blockie.

“When I went to UHCL, the image I remember was Blockie; I knew it wasn’t official but I always wanted the campus to have an official mascot to represent us,” said Miguel Montes, UHCL alumnus.

Although Blockie is not an official mascot, the image has been used by the Office of Student Life to promote campus activities and campus events since summer 1999.

“Blockie was never intended to be nor was he ever passed off as a mascot for the university,” Rachita said. “He was a character that was created by students in 1999 to help market the then Back to School Bash. Over the years the character developed a life of its own and soon became a special branding of the Student Life Office. I’m sure Blockie will live on as a brand for the Student Life Office and will become best of buddies with his new friend the hawk. Blockie will be the mascot’s biggest fan!”

For many students, faculty and staff, having an official mascot signifes the school’s spirit.

The University of Houston-Clear Lake sits on 524-acres surrounded by nature and wildlife.

“Hawks are located on our campus, making it a choice that also connected the mascot choice to our campus environment and setting,” said Ron Klinger, associate director of organizational development and a member of the mascot leadership team. “In the selection process several adjectives were identified that aided in how the mascot choice would represent UHCL…freedom, soaring spirit, sense of vision, excellence, grace, power and natural beauty of the campus.”