When Aidan Rogers, Matt Grossman and Zack Gusenoff arrived on campus in August to move into their residence halls, the first-year students were greeted by more than just the Goon Squad.

Otto the Orange visited each of them, bringing presents and high-fives alike.

The reason? They are part of the Otto community. Each of them has a parent, who, during their own time at Syracuse, was Otto as part of the mascot program.

Dr. Marc Grossman ’93, who was Otto during his own senior year, says it was beautiful to see his son, Matt, experience firsthand how tight-knit the Otto community is.

“It’s a family,” he says.

What It’s Like Being Part of the Otto Community

Dan Gusenoff ’95 says his two sons, Zack and Alex, have been wearing Syracuse and Otto the Orange T-shirts since they were born.

They have also always known their dad once wore the costume.

“Both the kids got to try on the costume many years ago when they were real little, so it’s been in their blood for a while,” he says.

For himself, Gusenoff has so many wonderful memories from being Otto, he says it’s hard to pinpoint a favorite.

“Otto represents happiness and spirit, and it was always great to be part of that,” he says. “Now, it’s really fun for me to see Zack start his Syracuse journey surrounded by that same Orange pride.”

Grossman says he made close friends participating in the mascot program.

“Even though it’s very funny and it’s entertainment, it’s also very serious. It’s a sport,” Grossman says. “We had a lot of intense practices and workouts.”

When Col. Pia Rogers ’98, G’01, L’01 was part of the Otto program, between 1995 and 1998, there were only three members on the team.

Now, she says it’s “bigger and better.”

“Sometimes you look back on your time at a university and you say, ‘Oh, it was better when I was there.’ I can’t say that about the Otto program,” she says. “Julie [Walas ’07, mascot coach of the Otto program] is doing such an awesome job. It has grown by leaps and bounds.”

Cheering for Otto

Both Grossman’s children have been cheering for Syracuse since they were very young. When he took them to see games, half the time they’d be watching Otto and not the game itself.

At those events, they gained an in-person understanding of what exactly their dad meant when he told them he was Otto at college, he says.

Interacting with the fans and other mascots was always exciting, the former Ottos all agreed.

Rogers recalled the first Bowl Game she attended as Otto during her undergraduate years was the Gator Bowl.

“It’s very exciting” she says of being Otto. “I remember it being very hot. Unbelievably hot in that costume. But I was vibing off the crowd with all of the fans.”

She says her son, Aidan, grew up knowing his mom was on the mascot team and the significance of Syracuse University in his family’s history. His dad, Akima Rogers ’94, is also an alum.

“Being a military child and having to move a lot through elementary, middle and high school, Aidan sensed the sense of community from Syracuse University,” Rogers says.

Despite their families being steeped in Syracuse spirit, Rogers, Grossman and Gusenoff say their sons were drawn to the University by their own interests.

“He’s excited to be there,” Rogers says of Aidan.

Advice From Former Ottos About Starting at Syracuse

Gusenoff says it was special to return to campus as a parent to help Zack move in.

“Walking around, I couldn’t help but remember the excitement when I moved in and the energy of being Otto,” Gusenoff says. “And now seeing Zack experience the same energy as a new student, it’s really a great feeling.”

He says Zack knows it’s a place where he was happy, but otherwise, Gusenoff says he just wants to see his son embrace his own experience.

“My wife and I are really excited to watch Zack create his own Syracuse story,” he says. “That’s really what we’re looking forward to.”

Rogers says she and her husband told Aidan to get the best grades he could.

“Do things, but also remember what your focus is,” she says of the advice they offered him. “Your focus is to learn and excel. But we also are happy he’s social and he gets out and he meets new friends. We’re proud of that too.”

Grossman says based on his own experience, he urged his son not to get singularly focused on one activity or another since the University presents broad experiences and opportunities.

He began his time at Syracuse wanting to be a photography major. But when he joined SU Ambulance at the encouragement of a friend, he discovered his interest in medicine. He’s now an emergency room physician.

“If you go in with a preconceived notion of, ‘This is what I’m going to do, this is where I’m going to be in four years,’ I think you’ll really miss the opportunities that exist at Syracuse University,” Grossman says. “There’s just so much to offer on campus.”