It started out innocently enough, as most class projects do.

But when NSU student Vicky Green went around town last week, visiting area merchants to get their views on the availability of NSU apparel, she stopped by Murv Jacob’s art gallery. That’s where things got a little strange.

Green and two other students – Jeremy Duskin and Nina Wenner – are working on a marketing project dealing with NSU’s logos and trademarks, which, according to Green, seem to be a bit lacking.

“When you look around at all the OU and OSU apparel that’s available, and consider that those universities get 8 percent of the money from the sales, that’s a lot of money NSU is losing,” said Green. “I stopped by Jacob’s Gallery, and that discussion resulted in a chain of events that led to the questions, ‘What exactly is our logo?’ and ‘What exactly is our mascot?’”

The NSU sports teams are known as the Redmen and the Lady Reds, but the mascot is a character called “Rowdy,” who makes an appearance at major NSU sporting events.

During the course of discussing the ambiguous nature of NSU’s mascot, Jacob – inspired by the increase of Bigfoot sightings in the area over the past several years – decided that the hairy creature of somewhat dubious existence would make a great mascot for NSU.

Before Green even left the gallery, Jacob had repainted a mural outside his shop, designating Tahlequah as the home of the “NSU Bigfoots,” as shown in a photo on the front page of last Wednesday’s Daily Press.

Students passing by during the mural renovation seemed to appreciate the humor of the somewhat unusual mascot, if not outright support it. That inspired Jacob to do a painting of Bigfoot, wearing nothing but a lot of fur and a pair of sunglasses, kicking a soccerball.

A movement appeared to be under way.

“I’ve had so many people complain to me about the Redmen,” said Jacob, pointing out the ongoing controversy over school mascots that portray American Indians in what some feel is a negative light.

“But who could be offended by Bigfoot? The most popular T-shirt in Oklahoma is a very toothy Eskimo, and the second most popular T-shirt is a wagon-full of criminals – we call them Sooners. I think there’s room at the top for Bigfoot.”

A quick survey of a few NSU students found some uncertainty – even apathy – about NSU’s mascot. Green said she’s encountered the same response in conducting research for her marketing project.

“The mascot is Rowdy,” said Jeff Toegel. “But the Redman is – I don’t know. What is the Redman?”

Toegel said he’s doubtful that the mascot will be changed to the Bigfoots (Jacob said he prefers Bigfoots to Bigfeet as the plural, because members of the Blackfoot tribe are, he said, called Blackfoots, not Blackfeet – except in Canada).

“I think there’s too much tradition and heritage associated with the Redmen to change it now,” said Toegel. “But if it came to a vote, I probably wouldn’t even vote.”