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Seven Arms, Three Hearts, One Awesome Mascot

By SPSCC Staff

May 31, 2021

On Friday, April 2, a small group of past and current student leaders met at the newly completed Health & Wellness Center to officially welcome Percy the Kraken to the Clipper family.

Percy (pronouns they/them/their) is more than a mascot. They’re a student-led project that spanned over four years from idea to completion. SPSCC student leaders devoted a year to allow time to research, talk over concepts, and look at sketches before selecting the kraken by vote. And it’s easy to see why the legendary deep sea creature won out.

Why a Character Mascot?

From the very beginning, the intention behind developing a mascot wasn’t about replacing the current Clipper mascot. Instead, the story of the kraken intersects with and enhances the existing Clipper mascot. SPSCC Clipper Athletics, along with their iconic clipper ship logo, will remain, but the presence of a physical mascot at games and campus events is something that students felt was missing from SPSCC.

Named after the Percival Creek that runs through SPSCC’s Olympia Campus, Percy is a defender of The Clipper Nation and we can’t wait to see them around campus soon.

The Students Who Brought Percy to Life

Kristina Hoferer and Jonathan Fink were two of the past students able to join in the big reveal.

Kristina served as Vice President of Clubs and Organizations from 2018 to 2020 and is currently attending Brigham Young University-Hawaii remotely to earn a Bachelor’s degree in TESOL Education.

"My first Senate team initially came up with this character brand idea, and my second team continued it, so seeing the final product come to life and interact with the students is surreal to me," said Kristina. “We saw so many funny and creative drawings that made the entire mascot committee laugh and enjoy the process."

Jonathan served as ASB President from 2018 to 2019 and is currently attending The Evergreen State College, studying Experimental Animation and Documentary Film.

“My favorite part was seeing how excited people got when talking about Percy, and all the ideas everyone had on how they could better our learning community and draw us closer together,” Jonathan said.

The Origin Story of Percy

Born in the midst of the rumbling, roaring deep sea volcanoes of the Ring of Fire, Percy the Kraken began their life far beneath the angry surface of the Pacific Ocean. Percy quickly grew restless from the noise and chaos and was eager to see the world above the waves. In search of peace and quiet, Percy rose through the murky waters of the Salish Sea and eventually made their home in the secluded, shallow waters of Percival Creek.

In 2020, construction on SPSCC's Olympia Campus disturbed Percy's hidden lair and reminded them of their tumultuous days in the deep sea. Usually content to stay hidden from the bustling bodies who moved about on the lands above their hideaway, Percy grew angry and set out to put a stop to dismantle the foes causing the disruption.

As they searched, Percy quickly came upon the Clippers: a group of people working hard to achieve success through education. After many hours spent observing these mysterious Clippers, Percy decided that instead of making a meal of the Clippers, they wanted to make them allies. That's when Percy solemnly vowed to forevermore vanquish all those who stand in the way of the Clippers.

Percy now spends their days supporting Clippers on the court, in the field, in the classroom, and in the community.

My favorite part was seeing how excited people got when talking about Percy, and all the ideas everyone had on how they could better our learning community and draw us closer together.

Jonathan Fink|ASB President 2018-2019