It has been four months since NYUSH Junior Naomi Losman’s QILIN was selected as NYU Shanghai’s mascot. During the summer, NYU Shanghai worked closely with Naomi to rework some minor details before producing its costume. Also, Qilin was voted as the name of NYU Shanghai’s mascot. The Qilin costume was revealed at the Freshman Convocation on August 22nd in front of hundreds of cheering students, staff, and faculty. The Qilin will be used primarily for Athletic and Special University Events. The university would like to clarify that the mascot is not a logo and should never be substituted as such. The administration will be establishing guidelines and a template guide for use. Currently, the Qilin design is internal and should not be distributed outside the NYU Shanghai community. Naomi Losman, the designer of this mascot, is an Interactive Media Arts Major and a member of the class of 2017. She is a founding member of the school newspaper, On Century Avenue, and served as its very first staff artist and art section content editor. She is also the founder and art director of the school’s newly minted arts magazine, Under Century Avenue. She states, “I’ve been drawing my whole life, and hope to someday make a career out of it working the animation industry, so I draw constantly. I hope having my mascot design chosen is a move in the right direction.”According to Naomi, the Qilin design was inspired by the diversity and individuality that NYU Shanghai represents as a university and a community. Her original intention was to design a dragon-inspired mascot, but she changed her mind because she “wanted to create something fresh that both harkened back to Chinese culture and embodied the spirit of NYU Shanghai.” While working on this project, she was inspired by a chimera. A chimera is a hybrid creature composed of the parts of more than one animal. In Chinese culture, the word “chimera” generally refers to a mixed species mythical animal. The chimera is a symbol of luck, serenity, and peace. Naomi says that she believes the NYU Shanghai student body is represented in the mixture of animal parts, which serve as a metaphor for its many nations and cultures. She added that the image itself was born of time, dedication, research, and a lot of drawing. The incoming freshmen class was invited to speak about what they think about the Qilin. “I think the mascot is cute, quirky, and unique,” said Serena Uy from Manila, The Philippines. A Pennsylvanian, Savannah Billman noted: “I really like the new mascot. As a mythical creature significant to Chinese legend, it represents NYU Shanghai's commitment and involvement in education about Chinese culture. Also, it’s completely unique, and is another great quality that sets our school apart from all others.”The core ideals of NYU Shanghai is respect, harmony, responsibility, and deep engagement with humanity. The Qilin, as an amalgam of a variety of mythical creatures, exemplifies the ideals of NYU Shanghai and the multidimensional richness of China. This article was written by Joanne Chun. Send an email to [email protected] to get in touch. Photo Credit: NYUSH