Meet Royal the Duck, SCCC's new mascot

PHOTOGRAPHER: Peter R. Barber

Wearing the new Royal Duck mascot costume SCCC intern Tessa Zeman, 20, jumps in front of Elston Hall Wednesday, May 20, 2015.

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Schenectady County Community College graduates are in for a surprise during their commencement ceremony this afternoon.

The college’s first mascot will make its debut to the biggest graduating class in the college’s history — 632 students — at Proctors.

The mascot has white feathers, a yellow beak and orange webbed feet. Its large, open beak shows off a pink tongue under large blue-green eyes with bushy eyebrows.

Its name is Royal — Royal the Duck. Royal wears a blue jersey with “SCCC” on the front and “Royal 1” on the back in yellow letters.

Royal does not wear pants. It prefers to show off its slim legs and large webbed feet.

“Royal is eccentric,” said Luis Martinez, 26, an SCCC student who designed the mascot costume. “It’s a vibrant character. Whenever you see a sports game, Royal will be flapping around.”

Martinez said Royal is very energetic.

“Royal is ready to go,” he said. “I was proud to be able to bring this character to life.”

Royal likes “soup and quackers” from the Casola Dining Room, according to SCCC. Royal’s favorite drink is coffee from the Canal Side Cafe, “to get revved up for a game.”

Royal stays in shape by swimming with the SCCC crew team in the Mohawk River and enjoys meeting up with friends in Central Park’s duck pond.

Martinez designed Royal as part of a competition last year for the college’s first mascot. Royal is the college’s 45th birthday present.

The duck beat out other students’ ideas, such as a lion or an owl, with approval by the SCCC Student Government Association last May and the SCCC Board of Trustees in July.

“At first I wanted to create a dove,” said Martinez, who is studying computer information systems at the college. “That was my direction. But then I decided to do something more fun.”

The duck symbolizes eternal life in many cultures, he said. Acting SCCC President Martha Asselin said that’s why the college ultimately chose Royal as its mascot.

“We like that it’s gender neutral and represents eternal life and universal language,” she said. “The whole purpose is that the mascot represents something and will be our new tradition. It’s part of the Royal family.”

Royal will quack on SCCC’s athletic teams, known as the Royals. The college has several varsity athletic teams, including men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s bowling, women’s crew and men’s baseball.

Royal was designed by Martinez but created by The Costumer in Schenectady. Royal took about 12 weeks to make and cost nearly $6,000.

“It came out better than I could have ever imagined,” Asselin said. “It’s well built, and its eyes are beautiful. The design gives it good personality. I’m very impressed.”

Royal is the first duck mascot among the State University of New York’s campuses. Other colleges have ducks as mascots too, like the University of Oregon, whose Oregon Duck — named Puddles — is based on Disney’s Donald Duck.

Royal will make its first appearance today at 9 a.m. at SCCC’s Honors Convocation at the Carl B. Taylor Auditorium on campus. Royal will later join students for a reception at 11 a.m. and then attend SCCC’s commencement ceremony at 2 p.m.

“I am very happy with how Royal turned out,” Martinez said. “I smiled the first time I saw it. I am honored to attend the ceremony on Thursday and see Royal.”