Pictured: New College Interim President Richard Corcoran with Anna Lazzara. Photo courtesy of New College of Florida.

New College of Florida recently unveiled its new mascot, the “Mighty Banyan.” The mascot, is a fierce-looking, flexing banyan tree, based on a design by first-year student Anna Lazzara. As the college progresses toward being the best liberal arts college in the country, a student-designed mascot, inspired by the many banyan trees on campus, will be the new face of the college. The banyan tree is known for its aerial roots, which sprout from branches and eventually reach the soil, and its ability to live for centuries. They are also considered the world’s biggest trees in terms of the area they cover. In a way, the entanglements of the roots and branches all under the vast canopy echoes the interweaving of the past, present, and the future. “When I heard the news that the college was seeking a new mascot, I began to think about what the New College spirit means to me,” said Lazzara. “After much thought, I realized that the New College spirit is the combination of a supportive community and a stunning natural landscape. Both of these things, I believe, are perfectly represented in the form of a mighty Banyan tree.”

Pictured: New College Interim President Richard Corcoran with Anna Lazzara. Photo courtesy of New College of Florida.