Syracuse’s unofficial mascot, Linda the hedgehog, is gone but not forgotten
Phil Bryant | Staff Photographer
Megan Quinn (right) and Abbey Miller (left) both loved playing with Linda, Quinn's pet hedgehog.
The original Syracuse mascot, until 1978, was “The Saltine Warrior,” a fictional Native American figure named “Big Chief Bill Orange,” per the SU Archives. Otto the Orange took over in 1995 and has been the official SU mascot ever since, and is often referred to as one of the most popular mascots in the country.
But for the past few years, there was another, unofficial mascot of the Syracuse women’s ice hockey team.
Linda the hedgehog was always around Syracuse (5-8-2, 4-1-1 College Hockey America). She’d ride along in the car with her owner, senior defender Megan Quinn. Linda would go to the Carrier Dome for sporting events. She even visited Calios, a restaurant on Marshall Street. Wherever the team was, Linda was there, too. As an unofficial mascot, Linda gave the team something to bond over and have fun with. The spiny mammal died in October at 7 years old, but she had already made her mark.
“She was just a figure behind our team,” sophomore Logan Hicks said. “She was always there. Megan dressed her up and did fun things with her, so everyone just grew to love her.”
After getting Linda as a sophomore in high school, Quinn decided to bring her hedgehog to college. For the first few days, Linda enjoyed college life, hanging out with Quinn and the team. But about a week into the semester, Linda was discovered.
Quinn lived in an apartment on South Campus at the time and the Department of Public Safety was conducting room checks at every complex. Syracuse University residence life policies state that pets, other than fish, aren’t allowed in student housing units without written permission from the school. Linda wasn’t allowed to stay.
“They left a note,” Quinn said. “’We found your gerbil, bring it home.’”
Quinn’s mother, Cindy, brought Linda back to the Quinn’s home in Belleville, Ontario, until last year. The hedgehog made her celebrated return to campus, where Quinn was living in an off-campus apartment.
When the team attended sporting events like field hockey games, they would smuggle Linda into the stands. She was hidden in a pocket or a sweater, shielded from view until the game started, when she was pulled out to watch. In the stands, Quinn quickly gained social media fame for her pet.
Linda had a solid following online as well, thanks to social media posts from Quinn and her teammates. The team loved Linda for her celebrity status, and wasn’t afraid to show off the adventures that the hedgehog went on.
“People would be like, ‘Oh, the girl with the hedgehog,’” Quinn said. “We made her an Instagram, but it didn’t go far.”
Already 1 year old when she was introduced to the Quinn family, Linda wasn’t expected to even go to college. But she lived longer than expected and the 7-year-old hedgehog, whose average life expectancy is two to five years, returned to Syracuse for her owner’s senior year.
With old age, Linda began to suffer health problems and lost the ability to walk. Transportation turned into being carried by girls on the team, as opposed to her usual, energetic way of life. For the hedgehog that once roamed free in Quinn’s apartment and played with the girls on the team, life had changed significantly.
“It was sad,” goalkeeper Abbey Miller said. “When she was younger, she would wheel around and do a bunch of fun stuff.”
In early October, Linda died in her sleep in Quinn’s room, she said. The following day, after class and practice, the team gathered together in a field near Small Road and Chinook Lane. After a small ceremony, Linda was buried in the field where she often explored and played with the team.
“It was sad, but I didn’t think she’d live this long,” Quinn said. “She lived a good life here. She lived it up.”
Linda’s popularity went beyond the hockey team, too. When Quinn posted on Instagram to commemorate her long time companion, athletes like quarterback Zack Mahoney, women’s soccer goalie Courtney Brosnan and cross country runner Philo Germano offered condolences.
Just as soon as Linda died, Quinn was on the lookout for a new hedgehog for the team to hang out with. On Nov. 16, Tony the hedgehog was introduced to the Syracuse ice hockey family. He’s just as energetic as Linda was, Quinn said, and is already comfortable with the team.
While the Orange now has a replacement mascot in Tony, SU has not forgotten the “legend” of Linda.
“She was special,” Quinn said. “No one’s ever seen a hedgehog before, they’re not very common, they’re kind of exotic. People just liked her. She was different.”
Published on December 3, 2017 at 9:50 pm
Contact Eric: erblack@syr.edu | @esblack34
