What could OpenAI’s ChatGPT DALL·E integration create if we asked it to help us design a new mascot? For this profoundly hilarious assignment, I got curious about what else could be out there, deeply enmeshed in our history and folklore, throwing in a few new traditions along the way. Needless to say, DALL·E knocked it out of the park ... way out. (What’s with the horrendous spelling, and what’s with the UT orange?)
If Trinity University had a different mascot, what would it be?
A Tiger with Values
Lest we forget our true namesake, I started here with a Trinitonian and told DALL·E all about our commandeering of the Detroit Tigers’ mascot more than a century ago. I reminded DALL·E that we have changed a lot as an institution since then—no longer grubby mascot stealers, we have values! Enter Academi-Tiger, the feline with a fondness for discovery who also has uncomfortably human-like hands. And clearly can’t spell.
The UNIVRSITY in the Sun
First we copy Detroit, now we copy Phoenix? Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, I suppose. DALL·E did not disappoint when I prompted for a new mascot using our old traditions. I want to run my fingers through these fabulous maroon and gold rays. With such a sunny disposition, this mascot takes “University in the Sun” to a completely different level. Now, if only he had a right arm and, again, knew how to spell.
What the Duck
Speaking of traditions, DALL·E certainly has a taste for the established and the new. Give it a beanie, birthday dunks, and the feathered friends that have been calling Miller Fountain home during the spring these past few years, and we get this lovable retro duck who looks homesick for San Diego. Let’s pretend the “O” stands for “One of a Kind” and not “Oregon.” Regardless, TriniDucks does have a nice splash to it. Feathers up!
Spelunking Spider
I really need y’all to take me seriously here: This IS our new mascot. It’s got everything that’s truly Trinity—the quirky, the nerdy, the environment-y, the history-y. Featuring Cicurina baronia, an almost-extinct spider known as the Robber Baron Cave Meshweaver found on Trinity’s Oblate property, and nodding to our humble San Antonio beginnings in a limestone quarry, this fuzzy little guy is the perfect balance of cute and creepy. Doesn’t “Go, Robber Baron Cave Meshweavers, Go!” roll right off the tongue?
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