Bobble
Heads !

Sammy the Seagull Bobblehead 

Hey, this is Sue Eagle, and I'm working on the Seagull." "It sounds comical, but it's true," said Eagle, director of design at Salisbury University. "After a while, I got to used to saying it." Eagle recently put the finishing touches on a new bobblehead, a strutting seagull dressed in a burgundy athletic sweater. 

The project took four months. Eagle said the process was intriguing and gratifying. "Basically, we're talking about turning a two-dimensional image into three dimensions," said Eagle. "It was a challenge to infuse a sense of personality into the character." 

Sammy the Seagull has been around since the 1940s as a mascot on shirts and other school wear. The image was well-loved, but it was, well, flat. "It wasn't really something that you could relate to," said Eagle. 

The new image has a proud stance and, shall we say, an eagle-eyed gaze? 

"It's the most coveted item on campus," said Eagle, laughing. 

Eagle worked with representatives from the athletics department, student activities and the alumni office to refine her ideas. An artist in China created the final figure. 

Eagle enjoyed her part in the creation. "It's a little like bringing something to life," she said. 

Finding a common language between the two design teams was a challenge. Besides dimensions, the Americans wanted the bird to show intense school spirit. 

"It is a proud mascot," said Eagle. "We kept saying, can you make it look prouder?" Finally, photography got the message across. Words weren't working, so Eagle and her group took a digital camera and photographed individuals in the stance they wanted. 

"We shot them four ways, with people looking proud and where we wanted the arms to be," said Eagle. Other design challenges, such as the figure's oversize head, kept the team busy. "You can't have it leaning too far forward or backward" said Eagle. "The head has to sit evenly on the shoulders." Sammy is wearing SU's burgundy and gold colors. The logo is on the base and "Sammy 1" is printed on its back. 

"He is number one," said Eagle. 

The strutting logo represents the prowess of the school's 21 varsity teams, including the men's lacrosse team, this year's National College Athletic Association Division III champions. 

"We wanted to make Sammy right, because everyone will relate to it," said Eagle. 

The bobbleheads are being showcased at this weekend's Homecoming Family Weekend The first 100 people through the gate wearing SU clothes or hats get one free. For those who miss out, they will be for sale in Sea Gull Stadium for $10. 

The game against Newport News Apprentice School begins at 1 p.m. Gates open at noon. 

Paul Ohanian, sports information director, said the figure is in keeping with the theme of the weekend, "Catch the Sea Gull Spirit." 

"It's one of the ways to get people enthused," he said. "There are 500 copies being made," said Eagle, "but they may not last the weekend." 

From www.dailytimesonline.com