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Hello
A message from Mo Budak
Most of you know that while I was a student (1966-1970) I was on The Oski Committee
and had the privilege to play the role of Oski, Cal's spirited and mischievous mascot.
Here is the explanation for the #OskiStrong concept
The Story
Recently, the California Alumni Association asked me to give the Keynote address at the 37th annual " The Leadership Awards" Scholarship Ceremony in which the best and brightest of our Cal students are recognized. I was honored to say the least.
They requested that I give a personal perspective in my own pathway to leadership. The link in the next section will open my 15 minute address, which I believe you may enjoy, as I weave Oski stories into that perspective.
Another video describing the same Oski event
Kate Scott
Here is a fun 5 minute video written, directed and produced by Bay Area Sports Journalist and now play by play announcer for the 76ers, Cal great Kate Scott. Some years ago she interviewed my Oski Committee at Top Dog
The Day That Pete Cotino Almost Kicked my butt
The image shows me in Pete Cutino's office. Look closely to see Water Polo Awards
The famous and legendary Pete Cutino earned the honor of being eight time NCAA Cal Water Polo Champion team’s head coach. I, on the other hand, had the honor of being Oski . Actually, I was with a group of 8-10 guys all trained to act as Oski. The Oski Committee, as we were called, was the only official secret organization on campus. Even the administration at Cal did not know who the membership was. Performances were split on rotating assignments. A member could perform as Oski during a pregame show, or during halftime. If you weren’t the performer, then your assignment (if you worked that day) was to guard the bear. The guards were there to guide Oski through the crowds, protect him from any danger, communicate with him (Oski was never to speak out loud), feed him fluids through a plastic tube in his eye and to help dress or dismantle the heavy (at that time) outfit.
Finding a place for Oski to dress and undress was always a challenge. This is where Coach Cutino fit in. For years, he graciously offered the use of his private office at the old Harmon Gym during basketball season, including issuing an office key to us. Before and after each pre-game and halftime show, the guards and the performing member would meet at Coach Cutino’s office, prepare ourselves and move out from there.
One day, it was my turn to perform the halftime show, and I was being ministered to by my two guards, Howard Korn and Jimmy Klein, when we heard a horrible crashing noise. It was Coach Cutino flinging open the door to his office, attempting to gain entrance only to discover some “intruders”. I distinctly remember that his presence was huge. Before he could summon his thoughts, he had the two guards in a headlock under each of his big arms while raising a ruckus as to what in the hell we were doing in his office. Before we could answer, and in his moment of anger he looked up at me facing him dead on. I was surely scared, and he recognized me, as I was dressed in full Oski regalia. In that instant he realized what was happening and with whom he was really dealing. Spontaneously, he turned from a tiger into a pussycat, hanging his head in apology, and mumbling something like “hey fellas, I’m sorry, I kinda forgot about you guys”, and turned on his heels and disappeared back into Harmon Gym hallway.
I never forgot that experience, and have told this story many times. I would occasionally (while dressed as a student) see him on campus and wave a hello. I always knew who he was, but he never knew who I was… and that was my secret. Go Bears!
Dr. Mo Budak Cal 1970
CAA Board of Directors
in the beginning
Rocky Rockwell - Oski's Originator
"In 1941, Rocky Rockwell thought it was time to replace the live bears being used as Cal's mascots – the first was a cub donated to Berkeley in 1930 – with one that couldn’t grow big and unruly.
He created a bear suit by sewing together two pairs of old pants, painting some large football shoes gold, putting stomach padding inside a baggy sweater and adding a pair of gloves. He made a mold for a bear head – with two big front teeth – out of clay, shaping it around an old football helmet.
Then-Daily Cal art editor Warrington Colescott helped Rockwell brainstorm facial expressions for the bear and offered the name Oski, instead of Rockwell’s suggestion of Algy. “Oski Wow Wow” had long been part of spirit yells at Berkeley and other schools, and the word oski, or the acronym OSCI (other side caught it), was a football term."
By Gretchen Kell, UC Berkeley Media relations SEPTEMBER 26, 2016
