Tom’s Trivia – Spring 2024

What was our mascot's name before Jonathan? See if you know as much as King of UConn Trivia and University Deputy Spokesperson Tom Breen ’00 (CLAS).

A study by Health Center immunology experts Bei Liu and Zihai Li is the first to involve human stem cells in vaccinating against colon cancer.

Challenge yourself to Tom’s Trivia!

See if you know as much as King of UConn Trivia and University Deputy Spokesperson Tom Breen ’00 (CLAS).

Scroll to the bottom to reveal the answers.

Tom's Trivia

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, a rock and roll band consisting of UConn faculty members could be found playing concerts in the area, usually benefits for local charities. What was the name of this band?

A: Off Yer Rockers
B: The Add/Drop Experience
C: Gentleman’s C
D: Jamtopia

Jane Weber ’51 was the national intercollegiate champion in her sport from 1949-51, part of a dynasty that saw UConn students claim 15 championships in the 1940s and 1950s. At what sport did she excel?

A: Tennis
B: Golf
C: Archery
D: Javelin

The stretch of Route 195 from Exit 68 in Tolland to UConn Storrs was named UConn Husky Way in 2005. Whose idea was this lasting tribute to the University?

A: Wendell Holcomb
B: Amarjit Buttar
C: Lowell Weicker
D: Francesca Candreva

In addition to the canine Jonathan, a human (usually a student) wearing a distinctive costume and going by the same name is a feature at UConn events. But the human version wasn’t always known as Jonathan. What name did he have originally?

A: Wilbur
B: Homer
C: Albert
D: Augie Jonathan the husky mascot performs on the basketball floor

Basketball season 1988-89

Answers

  1. A – Including faculty members like sociology professor Davita Glasberg, mechanical engineering professor Eric Jordan, political science professor Ernie Zirakzadeh, psychological sciences professor David Miller, chemistry professor Harry Frank, and music professor Peter Kaminsky, Off Yer Rockers played memorable concerts at venues like the UConn Co-Op, to raise money for causes like the Willimantic Soup Kitchen.
  2. C – In the 1940s and 1950s, UConn women dominated the world of intercollegiate archery, racking up 15 national championships and countless regional plaudits. In the winter, they practiced in the attic of Holcomb Hall.
  3. B – Amarjit Buttar, a passionate Husky fan and the father of two UConn graduates, was a member of the Vernon Board of Education who thought the stretch of road from the interstate to the Storrs campus should pay tribute to the athletic and academic success of UConn. He proposed the idea to State Rep. Claire Janowski, who introduced legislation in the General Assembly that secured the name change.
  4. B – In 1963, after Jonathan V proved to be no fan of large crowds, a human was pressed into service to raise the spirits of UConn fans, dressed as a humanoid canine. This first incarnation of the costumed mascot was named Homer the Husky, after then-UConn President Homer Babbidge.