“February’s Pin of the Month features Wellesley’s unofficial mascot: the Canada goose!” reads a recent @wellesleycollege Instagram post. But what if the goose became Wellesley College’s official mascot? 

Students seem to agree that a mascot would be practical for fostering school spirit at sports games and other campus events. Still, they remain divided over whether the goose is Wellesley’s best option. The birds are undeniably abundant on campus, and some community members find it amusing to watch them stroll confidently across walkways and lawns. For those supporters, the goose adequately captures Wellesley’s “quirky” character. 

Others are less convinced. Critics argue the geese are a nuisance — even a biohazard — and worry that claiming the goose as the College’s mascot would project weakness rather than strength. 

Here are several perspectives from community members on whether the Canada goose should become Wellesley College’s official mascot, so you can make an informed judgment for yourself.

“I like the geese on campus, I think they are really cute. When they walk around in the snow it makes my day. As a sports team mascot … I don’t know if it would be a good fit. I think geese are typically seen as pretty weak — as a women’s school I think we need something stronger to represent our spirit.” – Carol Pan ’29

“If the goose was our mascot, I’m thinking about how to make it fun and spirited for sporting events. Maybe something like, ‘Honk!’ or ‘Quack!’ could be our cheer from the sidelines. Or maybe ‘Honk! Go Geese!’” – Tess Porter ’28

“Perfect. The goose is perfect. They are a campus feature. They have their specific places. We could have rituals to these places, processions to these places to celebrate. They mark our existence. They make us aware of what’s happening to our planet in general. They migrate, which means that we would be celebrating the amount of students that migrate or come to Wellesley.” – Daniela Rivera, Professor of Latin American Studies and Professor of Art

“I think we need a mascot. And everyone already loves the geese.” – Tessa Dunagan

“I love them! I see them walking all the time, and everybody stops for them. I love them absolutely.” – Gloria, Wellesley Emporium

“I don’t like it. Imagine us losing a sports game and the opponent starts calling us ‘silly goose.’ We can’t abandon the blue. Maybe we can do something blue like Duke with the ‘Blue Devils.’” – Amanda Wang ’29

“I would like a mascot, but perhaps geese are a little wimpy. Is it wrong that I am more fond of a swan? ‘The Wellesley Whales?’ Blue is so chopped.” – Kalei Kieu ’29

“Ha! ‘Go Geese!’ I feel like we should have something still relating to blue …” – Jackie Ye ’29

“Having a goose as the Wellesley mascot is a little lame. It’s cute, and the stickers are fun, but it doesn’t really do much for school spirit.” – Kassy Lopez ‘29

“I am a fan of the geese as a mascot. On campus, I like them as well… but they kinda pose a hassle, which might contradict that a little bit! Overall, I think it’s cute, I think it’s sweet, and I think it’s unique – I like it.” – Lucia Garcia Martinez ’29

“I don’t really know… I guess we need an animal for a mascot. What is it right now — just the Blue? I like the Blue more. I’m team Blue.” – Stephen Shennen

“I didn’t realize the geese were our mascot. I feel like there are cooler mascots. I think we have slim pickings. We could have something really badass but niche. My friend’s mascot is the Sagehen at Pomona. Considering we’re a historically women’s college, we could have something calling to that history. The geese feel like a cop-out because they’re just here.” – Lillian Goins ‘26

Contact the editor in charge of this story: Noufeesa Yahyaoui