New Mascot Teased at Trustees Meeting

By Peggy Diaco
Staff Writer

“We are not going to reveal the new mascot, it’s a secret,” said President Marcia Welsh regarding the new university and athletic logo and introduction of the new mascot in her report to the Council of Trustees meeting last Thursday.

“It is so exciting to finally align the institutional logo with the athletic logo as they have been misaligned for so long,” said President Welsh.

Dr. Welsh congratulated Brenda Friday and her team for all their “incredibly hard work” during the past year in creating the university and athletic logo as well as coming up with a new mascot.

The new ESU logo and mascot will be unveiled at a fashion show at Koehler Fieldhouse on Jan. 24, and everyone is invited to attend.

Dr. Welsh and Board of Trustee Chair L. Patrick Ross welcomed a new trustee member, John Pekarovsky, an ESU alumni.

Trustee Pekarovsky graduated from ESU in 2007 with a bachelor of science degree in business administration with a concentration in accounting and finance.

He is currently employed as commercial banking officer and assistant vice president of Community Bank System, Inc.

John Pekarovsky was appointed to the Council of Trustees by Governor Tom Wolf.

There is one vacant seat on the board that needs to be filled.

Construction on the Sycamore Suites building has advanced to the fourth floor, Dr. Welsh reported, and the building is expected to be completed on-time in August of 2017.

“It is exciting to see a new building going up on campus, it gives us a new sense of energy, which I think this campus needs,” said President Welsh.

The new building will add 495 additional beds to the current total of 2,857 according to the ESU Friday Fact email.

President Welsh praised the East Stroudsburg Foundation for their first-time participation in “Giving Tuesday,” a global day of giving through social media.

“The Foundation set a goal for $30,000, and managed to raise a total of $36,605,” Dr. Welsh said.

The 20th annual Martin Luther King breakfast is scheduled to take place on Monday, Jan 16.

Dr. Welsh reported that this is a very large community event in excess of 400 attendees.

This year’s keynote speaker at the breakfast will be Carey Casey, ambassador for fathers with the National Center for Fathering in Kansas City.

In her Academic Affairs report, Provost Joanne Bruno announced that there will be 431 graduates on Dec. 17.

The public meeting was adjourned to move to executive session. The next Council of Trustees meeting is scheduled for Feb. 16, 2017.

Email Peggy at:
mdiaco@esu.edu