NSU Unveils New RiverHawks Logos

TAHLEQUAH Students, faculty, staff and members of the Tahlequah community waited months to see the new Northeastern State University RiverHawks logo, and Tuesday they got their chance.

The new logo was revealed at a special celebration held in the University Center Rozell Ballroom, commemorating nearly a year of work selecting and implementing a new mascot for the institution.

Designed by Rickabaugh Graphics, an Ohio-based graphic design firm experienced in collegiate mascot transitioning, the logo incorporates the new image of the university with a unique typography to create an original look for NSU.

"In creating the look for the new mascot, Rickabaugh Graphics considered the history and culture of NSU and the area we serve," said Neal Weaver, vice president for University Relations and chair of the Mascot Selection Task Force. "The company also considered input from members of the NSU community gathered at several focus group sessions held earlier this year."

Last May, NSU President Dr. Larry Williams formed a 40-member task force charged with guiding the selection and implementation of a new mascot to represent NSUs athletic teams. The decision to replace the Redmen nickname -- the official moniker for Northeastern athletics since 1924 was necessary to comply with National Collegiate Athletic Association guidelines concerning the use of Native American mascots. The mascot task force is made up of NSU alumni, faculty, staff, students, and supporters, along with representatives from the Cherokee Nation and the United Keetoowah Band.

The unveiling of the new logo completes the final part of a three-phase process. On Aug. 15, NSU launched the first phase in the form of an online suggestion box through which students, alumni, faculty, staff, community members, and anyone interested in the mascot selection process could submit ideas. When duplicates were eliminated from the 1,372 responses gathered during a six-week period, more than 300 different suggestions resulted. Task force members carefully reviewed the submissions, choosing six that the group collectively agreed were appropriate for NSU.

The second phase began with paper balloting on Oct. 13 during NSUs Homecoming 2006 celebration, and continued online at the NSU website through Oct. 31. Those who voted were asked to indicate their top preference, along with the reason for their choice. The university announced the RiverHawks as the new mascot on Nov. 18, citing the selection as the recipient of the most votes.