Poppie the Panther
Portland Community College’s mascot, Poppie the Panther, represents the unique and fierce spirit of our community.
Poppie is a physical manifestation of our PCC pride, and an inspirational figure around which all of us can rally.
While panthers in the wild are known to be somewhat elusive, the PCC Panther makes special appearances at community, campus, and athletics events to cheer on our students and represent PCC.
Poppie uses “they/them” pronouns and wears a turquoise T-shirt with Portland Community College on the front and “Poppie the Panther” on the back. For special occasions, Poppie wears other turquoise clothing, including headbands and sweatshirts.
Poppie the Panther was born in 2004.
Dr. Nan Poppe, who was the executive dean for Southeast Center (now Southeast Campus), purchased the first panther suit for the college. A contest was held through the student leadership program to name the panther, and the college chose the name “Poppe” (pronounced “Poppie”) in honor of its benefactor. Today we spell the panther’s name with an “ie” to ensure proper pronunciation.
Request Poppie Appearance
Do you want Poppie to visit your event? If so, you’re in luck! The Marketing & Communications Department and the Student Life & Leadership offices have mascot costumes that can be checked out. Contact us today to block time on Poppie’s busy schedule.
- pen to square Contact Marketing & Communications for public-facing events.
- phone Contact Student Life & Leadership for campus-specific events.
Please note: You will need to provide your own human for the mascot costume. We also suggest having a handler for Poppie as they may have a difficult time seeing their way through crowded events.