The Student Government Association launched the Colonel Mascot Makeover Challenge Contest, introducing the prize package and a brief overview of the rules, in the snack bar area of Bollinger Memorial Student Union on Monday at 11:30 a.m.”It went well,” Damian Breaux, SGA president, said. “I have a feeling the students were more interested in having lunch, but a couple of people picked up packets.”

The prize package include: a tuition waiver/scholarship for the fall 2006 semester, sponsored by the University administration; a $300 gift certificate to Southland Mall in Houma, sponsored by the Alumni Federation and Nicholls Foundation; a pair of season tickets to Colonel football home games for a year, sponsored by Colonel athletics and the Colonel Club and a $150 Barnes and Noble gift card, sponsored by the University bookstore.

“I think knowing that the image will go down in the history books is the greatest prize,” Breaux said.

The SGA declared the Colonel as Nicholls’ mascot in 1957 and according to the Colonel Mascot Makeover Challenge Contest information packet, the University is looking for an image that represents the uniqueness of Nicholls and “better suits the diversity of our student population.”

The SGA is hoping to “establish a mascot that embraces the modern diversity of our campus community without discarding the cultural relevance that is important to the area and its history,” according to the information packet.

Breaux said that although the image of Tillou has vanished, the University’s mascot will still be the Colonel.

“We’re just looking for a makeover of our current image,” Breaux said.

According to Breaux, the guidelines for the new mascot are open to the imaginations of the contestants, and there are no restrictions.

“It could be anything,” Breaux said. “It’s up to a person’s imagination of what they can make a Colonel.”

The example that Breaux likes to use is Tulane. Although Tulane’s mascot name is the Green Wave, their actual mascot image is a pelican.

The information packet suggests that the contestants incorporate originality, excitement, edge, modernity and drama in their entries. All Nicholls students, employees and alumni are eligible to submit entries and there are no more than two entries per person allowed.

The final day to submit entries is March 8 at 4 p.m. Entries must be submitted with the signed release form. The winning entry will be announced on April 21 at 1:30 p.m. in John L. Guidry Stadium during the Student Programming Association’s annual Crawfish Day.

All entries will be considered by a committee to determine the top entries. The number of top entries will depend upon the quantity and quality of entries submitted. The committee will consist of student representatives from the SGA, Student Programming Association, student athletes, cheerleaders, athletic faculty/staff, University administration, alumni federation, University Relations/marketing and the branding committee.

For more information, contact the SGA at 448-4557.