The people of the University of California-Irvine call themselves the Anteaters. In general, the more whimsical nicknames belong to schools in California; most befitting of the land of fruit and nuts. California-Irvine is a division I school and plays in the Big West Conference.

In the early 1960s, the land on which UCI now stands was 1,500 acres of treeless terrain occupied by an Irvine Company cattle ranch. Under the direction of Founding Chancellor Daniel G. Aldrich, the campus opened in 1965 with 1,589 students and 119 faculty. Today, UCI has about 18,000 students, 1,400 faculty, and 8,500 employees. And the treeless terrain has become an arboretum of trees and shrubs from around the world. Founded in 1971, the City of Irvine (population 121,000) was planned by the master architect William Pereira, as was the UCI campus itself.

http://www.editor.uci.edu/welcome_book/chapter1.html

Why an Anteater?

In selecting a mascot, University of California tradition called for a bear. But two water polo players, Pat Glasgow and Bob Ernst, had another idea for UC Irvine. Inspired by the Johnny Hart cartoon character "Peter" in B.C., they enlisted cheerleader Schuyler Bassett III, who led an imaginative campaign. Bumper stickers, posters and decals featuring the anteater flooded the campus. Based on its "originality, uniqueness and relevance to UC" (the anteater is, in fact, an antbear), the weird-looking beast won 56 percent of the vote in a 1965 election. Other nominees -- eagle, unicorn, golden bear and "none of these" -- were soundly defeated.

In the B.C. comics, the anteater's tongue, when striking its prey, made a resounding noise, "ZOT!" -- now the fearsome UCI Anteaters' unique war cry!

There is some wonderful anteater art at http://www.communications.uci.edu/anteater.html.

California-Irvine's colors appear to be blue and gold.

Ask a University of Oregon student

Why a Duck?

The Marx Brothers went to U of Oregon???? Didn't know that.

Why TEd, the Chic-o you!

I just Karl em like I see em.

I think that was a different branch of the family: the German branch, otherwise known as the Deustch Marx.

I think you guys are marx for your own humor.

That's OK. I'm always looking for different Engels.

Reminds me of the story of the two PhD's who were sitting on a veranda of the nudist colony.

One says to the other, "Have you read Marx."

The other sighed loudly. "Yes. It's the wicker chairs."

There's just no rest for the wicker.

I think you guys are marx for your own humor.

(Edited) Merely an exaltation of lark-ing re-Marx.

Merely an exaltation of lark-ing re-Marx.

Then there's the apocryphal story of Erich Mariah Remarque, author of All Quiet on the Western Front. He was pacing outside the delivery room, only to be interrupted by the good sister, who said, "Herr Remarque, you have a healthy baby boy."

Minutes later, she returned and said, "You have healthy twin babies."

Then some ten minutes later, she reported, "You have healthy triplets."

The poor man gasped, "Surely that last Remarque was uncalled for."

Since this would not properly translate into German to keep the pun, I assume it's not true.