Sculpture of Campus Mascot to be Unveiled This Week
Triton is recognized as symbol of campus pride and unity

Pat JaCoby | October 13, 2008

Heralding a new UC San Diego tradition, a 750-pound bronze sculpture of the fish-tailed sea god Triton will be unveiled during an 11 a.m. ceremony Oct. 16 on the Price Center East steps. The blow of a conch-shell trumpet, used by the mythical god, will signal the start of the event.

All members of the campus community are invited to attend and encouraged to wear blue and gold attire. A group photo of audience members will be taken by a photographer from a scissor lift. Participants are urged to assemble on steps behind the sculpture at the end of the ceremony for the photograph.

Penny Rue, vice chancellor for Student Affairs, will serve as master of ceremonies and Chancellor Marye Anne Fox will welcome attendees. Alumnus Ping Yeh, ’99, of Minneapolis, who championed the sculpture project on behalf of the senior classes of ’98 and ’99, will describe the vision of his classmates for a “Triton-ization” of the campus. Darryl Nousome, Associated Students vice president of Student Life, will discuss the collaboration between the artist and sculpture committee to create a sculpture that students could touch for good luck and pose next to for photographs. Artist and alumna Manuelita Brown, ’76, will describe the challenge of creating a Triton to meet the university’s requirements. The UC San Diego Pep Band, cheerleaders and King Triton will be on hand.

Bookmarks with the Triton symbol will be given away as a souvenir to attendees and guest speakers will receive ceramic conch shells made by the UCSD Crafts Center.

Gary Ratcliff, assistant vice chancellor of Student Life, said funding for the Triton sculpture came from two sources. Senior class gifts of 1998 and 1999 got the sculpture project rolling. Additional funds came from the University Centers, which included the sculpture initiative in the Price Center expansion project.

Artist Brown, whose degrees are in mathematics and psychology, said she tried to combine science and art in her vision of the mythical Triton, using a man’s image for the upper half and a sea mammal for the lower half. She said the three-dimensional image had to be interesting from every view, yet represent the symbol the students wanted. Remarking on the intention of the sculpture committee, she said: “He should look confident, but not too menacing; he should be approachable and still be impressive.”

In Greek mythology, Triton is known as the trumpeter of the deep and son of Poseidon, god of the sea. He is represented as a merman having the upper body of a human and tail of a fish. Like Poseidon, he carries a three-pronged spear called a trident. Triton’s special attribute is the conch shell, which he blows like a trumpet to calm or raise the seas. When blown loudly, its sound is so fearsome that Triton’s rivals imagine it to be the roar of a mighty beast and take flight.