South Middlesex Times

Rutgers University-Newark introduced its new mascot, Scarlet Raider, at the Paul Robeson Campus Center. The red, black, and white fox was revealed as part of a campus event featuring a student fashion show. The show highlighted apparel and accessories developed in collaboration with high school students from the Newark School of Fashion and Design.

Kimberlee Williams, Director of Communications and Marketing, said her office led the initiative to revamp the mascot to better reflect the campus's dynamic culture. "This mascot is so Rutgers-Newark," she stated. "The fox is about cunning; it’s about a fierce confidence to outsmart those who underestimate you."

Students modeled athletic wear featuring a lettermark inspired by Newark's historic Paramount Theatre marquee and designs incorporating Scarlet Raider's graphic identity. These items will be available online.

Williams noted that partnering with the Newark School of Fashion and Design allowed students to apply their skills in real-world branding while shaping the university’s evolving identity.

Newark students from Rutgers Business School also contributed by developing promotional strategies under Marketing Professor Yla Eason, creator of Sun-Man, now part of Mattel’s Masters of the Universe collection.

The first Scarlet Raider costume debuted on November 6, 2019, two years after adopting the fox as the campus mascot. The new version was designed by Amy Skiles of Phoenix Design Works.

Interactive workshops allowed students to present concepts and receive critiques to align their designs with Rutgers-Newark’s visual identity. Kevana Dupree, a junior business major from Brooklyn, praised the design: “The red-and-black look is perfect and represents Newark so well.”

Jaisaun Martinez, a senior psychology major from Plainfield, expressed excitement about further developing the mascot's character: “It was definitely time for a change. The mascot really embodies our spirit now.”