After 101 years, the WashU bear now has a name: Forest.
Forest still has that familiar four-fanged smile, those gargantuan red high tops and a coat of synthetic fur.
But with the mascot’s new name comes a new spirit, said Anna Gonzalez, vice chancellor for student success.
“Forest is really curious, really creative, a little silly and a little sly, so watch out,” Gonzalez said.
Gonzalez introduced Forest to the Class of 2030 at Dr. G’s Fun House Aug. 16 in the Swamp. New students were immediately taken by Forest, who stopped for selfies, offered high-fives and raised its claw in what surely will become its signature “paw” signal.
“Woohoo! That’s my mascot,” one student shouted, while others grabbed Forest trading cards and cookies.
Gonzalez said the bear deserved a name that was uniquely WashU. The name Forest alludes to Forest Park, which connects WashU’s Danforth and Medical campuses.
“Other mascots have names and ours should too, especially since we, at WashU, are committed to knowing everyone by name and story,” Gonzalez said. “Forest represents so many things that make the bear and WashU special – Forest Park which is such an important place for all of our students, our curious nature, the way we care about sustainability and preserving our forests.”
“The name fits,” agreed Grayson Albaugh, a first-year computer science student and a member of the Bears baseball team. “A really good mascot can make a game more fun to watch — and more exciting to play.”
Last academic year, Gonzalez convened a committee of students,staff and faculty to find a proper name for the bear. Among its student members was mascot enthusiast Charlie Oleskar.
“When I got here, I was like, ‘Isn’t it weird that our mascot doesn’t have a name? I even wrote Dr. G about it, so I was thrilled when she asked me to join the committee,” said Olesker, who graduated in May.
Olesker said the committee received about 1,000 recommendations from students, faculty, staff and alumni. Louie and Archie were popular picks, but those monikers already belonged to the mascots of the St. Louis Blues and St. Louis Community College, respectively. Community members also suggested the names of university Nobel Prize winners, founders and professors, but the committee wanted the bear to have its own personality. And then there were the 60 or so votes for Beary McBearface and its variations, a play on the meme Boaty McBoatface.
Forest emerged as a favorite, garnering a large number of nominations from every segment of the WashU community.
“We wanted a name that was chantable and fun and could bring everyone together,” Olesker said. “Forest really worked. You can hear people chanting ‘Fore-Est! Fore-Est!’”
Oleskar was given the honor of presenting the committee’s recommendations to Chancellor Andrew D. Martin dressed as the bear — a dream come true.
“I was really excited. The chancellor seemed pretty excited too, but I could only see so much through the mesh nose,” he recalled.
Gonzalez said the Division of Student Success, with support from University Marketing & Communications, will establish a formal mascot program. In the meantime, Forest will join classmates at the Underpass on the first day of class, explore WashU’s 400 clubs at the Activities Fair and grab some healthy snacks at Well-being Wednesdays.
“Student activities, sporting events, Convocation, Commencement — you are going to find Forest everywhere,” she promised. “This will be one busy bear.”
