By Sabrina Bush Staff writer
Susquehanna moved away from the Crusader nickname in April and adopted the identifier of River Hawks, which came equipped with a brand new logo and a medley of differing opinions.
The logo was unveiled Aug. 25 during the opening convocation for the class of 2020—which typically transpires the afternoon of move-in day for first-year students—and was accompanied by the premier of a one-minute video, which featured Susquehanna students sporting their new River Hawks attire.
“I love it,” junior Cayla Spatz said. “It’s more modern and honestly more stylish.”
The image, which incorporates the university’s colors of orange and maroon, is a sleek representation of a river hawk head, designed by Pottsville-based Joe Bosack & Company, which has developed athletic brand identities for upwards of 100 colleges and universities across the country.
“I wanted to hate it,” senior Jean DeBiasse said.. “But I have to admit it’s tasteful.”
The logo’s reveal was complemented by the unveiling of the new Susquehanna “S,” which modernized the previous block “S” by incorporating smoother lines and wings to emulate a river hawk and further differentiate Susquehanna’s “S” from Syracuse’s.
“It’s fine, but it’ll never trump the sentiment and history that came with the last ‘S’ and logo,” 2016 graduate Josh Wertz said. “But maybe my opinion is bias.”
River Hawks, which replaces Susquehanna’s longtime nickname of Crusaders, was chosen after a six-month process led by the Nickname/Mascot Special Committee, which was convened last fall by Susquehanna President L. Jay Lemons. The decision ultimately concluded with a vote, in which the Susquehanna River Hawks was chosen among three options, receiving 67.4 percent of votes cast.