Holy purple Riverbat

Everyone who attended the Riverbat Rally on Nov. 18 got the first look at the new mascot.

R. B. Bbhoggawact, the purple bat with a green tuft of hair, made his grand entrance out of a Camaro wearing an ACC Riverbats shirt. The crowd cheered as he danced his way to the stage at the Northridge Campus.

It's been over a year since the search for a mascot started. After the long process of gathering suggestions, coming up with a name, and designing a costume, ACC finally has a mascot.

"This is a dream come true. We worked really hard. We put in endless hours, and to finally see it come to where we are today is very exciting," said Avy Gonzalez, mascot search committee chair.

Following the reveal, Student Life team members introduced the new Riverbat dance, the R. B. Step and encouraged students to join in.

Tim Swain, SL assistant at Cypress Creek, helped come up with the dance.

"It definitely feels great to know that we can be a part of history in the making here at ACC. I think the greatest reward is knowing that we're doing something that really uplifts the campus, and it gives back to the campus in such a way that it just makes people feel what it means to be a part of ACC," said Swain.

There is also a Student Life original song, recorded and mixed at ACC's commercial music management recording studio, that goes with the dance by the same name.

"We wanted something to encapsulate what it means to be an ACC student, and we wanted to do it in such a way that it really captures the hearts of not only the students, but the faculty and staff members here," said Swain.

Merchandise with the Riverbat logo, including shirts, hats, coffee mugs, and water bottles, is already available at ACC bookstores.

"When you purchase a T-shirt or any Riverbat merchandise, it goes to ACC scholarships. It's a win win," said Brett Lea, executive director of public information and college marketing.

Check back for more video and images from the event, including Student Life doing the R. B. Step.

Updated: 11/29/10 with new video