I think that’s the coolest logo ever. If you look carefully you can see that Sammy is reading Plato.
The Save the Redwoods League just had a banana slug beauty contest, and it reminded me of Sammy. I fell in love with him when Kaitlin went to UC Santa Cruz. For me he represents being interested in knowledge for its own sake, for the sheer joy of it, not to impress other people or to have making money as the primary goal.
Apparently he was the unofficial mascot at UCSC for years. They didn’t need an official one because the goal of the physical education department was to introduce as many students as possible to lifelong physical activities. The emphasis was on the joy of participating. For the first couple of decades they didn’t compete against outside teams.
The Banana Slug served as the unofficial nickname of UC Santa Cruz for nearly two decades. Besides being native to California’s Central Coast, it represented many of the most impressive characteristics of the campus and its people: contemplation, flexibility, nonaggressiveness and, perhaps above all, an iconoclastic challenge to the status quo.
The slug became the university’s official namesake in 1986–but not without a challenge.
When the campus decided in 1980 that five of its teams would begin play at the NCAA Division III level, the chancellor at the time and a group of athletes and coaches determined that the Sea Lion would be a more distinguished mascot.
Students would have none of that. They advocated fiercely on behalf of the loveable Banana Slug, organizing an election in which the Banana Slug bested the Sea Lion by a 15 to 1 ratio.
—UCSC’s Banana Slug among ESPN’s top 10 best team names
Hurray for Sammy and the students!
About the Save the Redwoods beauty contest: Ziggy the Artsy Bookworm won. The site says, “Their cousin is Sammy the Slug, of UC Santa Cruz fame.”
Go, Sammy!
February 24, 2022
GO SAMMY!!! this is Wonderful!
I have never even heard of a banana slug! and Sammy reads Plato!!!
😀 XOXO
😀 I’ve actually seen one, when I was walking in a redwood park. I was excited to see it because of Sammy and UCSC.
the slugs here are not banana coloured! But how fun is that to take the sluggish slug and use it to inspire people to get up and do something worthwhile (or have I missed the point).
I think they were making fun of other colleges more serious mascots. Sammy makes me smile every time I think of him (them in more PC language).
I didn’t know any of this. And I sure never heard of a Banana Slug. I had to Google it. And sure enough, it is a real critter! And it looks just like a banana! I sure learned something cool here today.
Apparently they’re unique to the Pacific Ocean coastal forests. I think it’s cool too. 😀
Not only is this very cool but I like the idea of learning just for the sake of learning.
Me too. It’s one of the great joys in my life. 🙂
I’d better not show this to Jenny. She’s very squeamish about slugs. If I see one in the garden, I have to surreptitiously get rid of it before she sees it.
😀
I love Sammy and my Dad called me Samar, I wanted to be Sam, they refused. every card and every present was addressed to Samar. Bob calls me Samar because he heard my parents do it. Sammy is adorable and I love the challenge to the status quo.. that whole line in your post made me feel good. I never kill slugs, snails, beetles. I save them from the pool all the time. Go Banana Slugs
That’s too bad. 🙁 It’s a great name.
I had to.look up.banana slug, too. Blogging is great for learning/seeing new things.
Yes, I love it. 🙂
Go Sammy … yessss!
Until we moved to Alabama, I’d never heard of slugs. After ‘freaking out’ one evening, then realizing it wasn’t dangerous, I soon got over my revulsion. That’s cool that they come in my favorite color!
😀
Hi, I just read your comment on my blog. The car’s license plate says “contagious”.
Almost everyone else got it, but I was clueless 😀
My son went to UC Santa Cruz. We always enjoyed visiting him there.
It’s a beautiful location. 🙂