JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The news was met with celebration and great fanfare.
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After winning the most votes as one of the three top finalists, the Manta Ray is the new mascot of Florida State College at Jacksonville.
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During the annual Commencement ceremony, attending graduates received FSCJ Manta Ray rally towels after accepting their diplomas as a video was played showcasing the new mascot.
FSCJ said close to 9,000 votes and 864 write-in names were received, helping to narrow the options down to the top three: Kraken, Manta Ray and Sea Dragon. The public window was open to select the winner between the finalists, getting nearly 20,000 votes.
RELATED: FSCJ will be starting a mascot selection process
“This has been an exciting process, and we cannot thank the community enough for their involvement,” College President Dr. John Avendano said. “We often say FSCJ is ‘the community’s college’ so we wanted to be sure we selected a mascot that everyone would connect with and help us build on that energy. The Manta Ray was a perfect choice for us, and we cannot wait to see the symbol on shirts, hats, uniforms, signage and more.”
The college said it is already beginning to incorporate the Manta Ray across campus. Merchandise is already being ordered and will be available for purchase through campus bookstores and online.
A special video the college produced can be viewed at the top of this story.
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