There’s a new face for McPherson College’s Bulldog mascot, and it was one of MC’s own alumni who designed the new logo.

Evan Hiebert ’14, McPherson, Kan., submitted two designs for the “Design the Bulldog” contest, which was open to all McPherson College alumni, students, faculty and staff to enter. The grand prize for winning the contest is $1,000 and – even more meaningfully to Hiebert – that MC will now use his design as the college’s official mascot.

Hiebert said it meant a lot that McPherson College would ask its extended campus family to design the official Bulldog.

“I think it shows a lot of pride in the work,” he said, “and shows a lot of trust in the program.

Both designs by Evan Hiebert were selected into the group of five finalists, which were selected by a 24-person committee of students, faculty, staff and alumni that included cabinet members, coaches, each academic division, alumni board members, student leaders and more.

The three other finalist designs were by Nathan Holthus, senior, McPherson, Kan.; Cord Cunningham ’14, Wichita, Kan.; and Darin Donaho ’08, Denver, Colo.

After the finalists were selected, voting was then opened to all students, faculty, staff and alumni. About 900 people voted online, with Hiebert’s winning design the strong favorite.

Colleen Gustafson, promotions and new media manager, said it was important to the college to involve the MC community in the process of selecting the new Bulldog.

“We wanted to make sure that the people who care the most about the college – our students, faculty, staff and alumni – could actively be part of this portion of our identity,” she said. “We wanted to have all voices heard.”

This is the second Bulldog design created by MC alumni. The previous design was created by Darren Hendricks in 2004, when he was director of communications at the college. The goal was to create an athletic mascot that could also represent the other areas of the college.

The resulting design marked the first time that the college had its own unique mascot design. Previously, the college had made use of different clip art.

The college will soon start phasing in the new design across publications, stationery, websites, and anywhere else McPherson College’s Bulldog appears.

McPherson College is asking students, alumni, faculty and staff to work at giving an old dog a new look.

With the McPherson College Bulldog Mascot Design Contest, the marketing department is offering $1,000 to the winning entry and the opportunity for that winning design to be the official Bulldog mascot for years to come. The contest was announced on campus Oct. 9 and entries will be accepted through 5 p.m. central time on Nov. 30.

“As we’re seeking a new look for the Bulldog, we knew it would be more meaningful for a member of our MC family to create it,” said Colleen Gustafson, manager of strategic marketing and branding, “We have such an incredibly talented community of students, employees and alumni who are invested in the McPherson College identity and experience. I’m certain we will receive many wonderful and unique entries.”

Those who don’t want to submit a design can still contribute to choosing the final look of the Bulldog by voting online for their favorite entry after the final designs are posted.

The Bulldog as the McPherson College mascot dates back to Ellis D. Verink, who coached basketball at MC from 1915 to 1917. Ben was Verink’s 67-pound English Pitt Bull and was often seen on his evening “constitutional” around McPherson, with Verink keeping up behind him on a bicycle.

While good-natured, Ben also didn’t put up with other dogs trying to push him around. Verink – in a 1948 alumni newsletter – said Ben was never one to pick a fight, but if another dog tried to start something he was “…entirely successful in defending his honor.”

Ben was known to check on every player as they came off the floor to the bench – sniffing them over to check on them and make sure they met his approval. From this history, the Bulldog has come to stand for honor, loyalty, and a good-natured attitude with a streak of spunk and toughness.

Full details of the contest, official rules, and the official entry form are available at www.designthebulldog.com. Highlights to keep in mind from the official rules include:

• Participants may enter as many entries as they would like.
• Only original art or designs may be submitted.
• The Bulldog’s fur must be white in color and a “headshot” of the Bulldog must be included in the design. Variations may be included along with the headshot.
• Text is not permitted in the design.
• The college requests that entrants protect their work and not post submissions on public sharing websites (such as DeviantArt, Tumblr, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and the like) or risk possible disqualification.