Pestello Reveals Changes Coming to Mascot Costume

In a humorous video posted on social media this week, Saint Louis University President Fred P. Pestello, Ph.D., took a trip to the Saint Louis Zoo to seek advice from some unlikely sources as SLU pursues changes to the Billiken mascot.

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In the video, which was covered widely by local media, Pestello asks several different animals, including Kali the polar bear, what qualities they think SLU’s mascot should have.

After the clip was posted, a number of students, alumni and fans expressed thanks that SLU was responding to their concerns about the new mascot, which debuted on Sept. 20. At the time, Pestello used humor to reply to some of the costume’s critics on Twitter. (Follow Pestello at @SLUPresident on Twitter and Instagram.)

In taking another look at the costume, SLU will consider the feedback that has been received during the past few weeks. Based on the input, the first and primary focus will be on the mascot’s head. SLU will also further engage current students and other stakeholders in the process.

The video was created in-house by team members in SLU’s Division of Marketing and Communications. The Saint Louis Zoo, which assisted with the shoot, responded to Pestello on Twitter saying: “We know you got some great advice! We can't wait to see the new Billiken!”

It’s important to note that the new Billiken logo — launched last fall and named one of the top-50 new sport logos of 2015 by Sportslogos.net — will remain unchanged. While changes to the costume are being pursued, the mascot will not appear at games or other SLU events.