The life of a Goose Girl
Photo courtesy of Knight’s Life Editor Daisy Sheldon
This is Gary Poppins (The Guard Goose) MacVittie in his cool officer outfit. He lords over the lobby of the Union and protects his fellow geese.
Last May, eight porch geese dressed in graduation caps and gowns decorated the MacVittie College Union. They were everywhere, from the Hunt Room to the top of a vending machine—this is the scene I entered. I was hired as the Summer Building Manager beginning in May, and one of my first shifts was during the graduation of the Spring 2025 class. During graduation, the Union was a hub of activity, buzzing with banquets, family gatherings, and new graduates. My mission: watch the geese. Admittedly, it was more serious than that—I was front and center to help and interact with families—but walking around the building to check on plastic geese added a layer of humor to my day.
The porch geese originally came to be because of Chip Matthews, the Director of Student Life at SUNY Geneseo, who read about them on National Public Radio (NPR)’s website. The purpose behind buying and dressing the geese for graduation was to bring joy to students, parents, and anyone else who wandered through the Union.
When I started in May, Chip shared an article with me that explained the purpose well; Ingrid Fetell Lee’s article “Why the secret to happiness might be joy” from her website The Aesthetics of Joy said, “Little moments of joy add up to more than the sum of their parts. And over time, their cumulative effects can lead to greater happiness.” As the heart and hub of activity on campus, the MacVittie College Union has the opportunity to connect with students and share small acts of joy—from playing a pool game to seeing plastic geese in fun costumes—and that is exactly what the geese project was meant to do. So, for the first time ever, there are now eight geese living year-round in the Union in costume, plus a ninth because we, of course, had to add a year-round guard goose to the family; with talks of a 10th coming soon.
I do not recall exactly where the idea came from to acquire seasonal outfits for the geese last summer, but I do remember completing the research and purchasing process with my lovely colleague, Madison Jansen, who is the Coordinator for Student Life Activities and Late Night Programs. The geese, thus far, have been strutting their stuff in summer, Halloween, and fall outfits. I will not spoil what their outfits will be for the remainder of the year, but I will say to look out on Tuesday, Nov. 11, for their patriotic gear in honor of Veterans’ Day.
I also remember the process of naming them—yes, they have names! I gave eight out of the nine their first names, and Kristina Barsema (Associate Director of Student Life) named the ninth one Daisy. Their middle names were voted on, and their last names, of course, had to be after the place they live and represent their purpose: MacVittie. Their full names are: Petunia Pig Macvittie, George Washington Macvitte, Bart Batholomew (Mewing) Macvittie, Robbie The Rizzler MacVittie, Alex The Great Macvittie, Charlie xcx MacVittie, Layla Consuela MacVittie, Daisy Duck MacVittie, and Gary Poppins (The Guard Goose) Macvittie.
There are four boys, three girls, and two non-binary geese, all of whom have birthdays! Their birthdays were selected from various Student Life and Residence Life staff members' actual birthdays. If you happen to be in the Union on those days, you will see the geese in a blue, pink, or yellow outfit; depending on which goose it is.
With outfits purchased, birth names given, and birthdays selected over the summer, the only thing left for me to do when the fall semester started was to change their outfits according to a schedule I created. Each goose has an allotted outfit in a particular month or season, and it is not a secret fairy that changes them, but yours truly. You will see me with up to four geese at a time, tucked under my arms and held by their necks, as I transport them, change them, and place them out in random places throughout the Union.
The next time you stop by the Union, see if you can find them all! There are currently six out of nine geese throughout the building in their fall outfits (or if you’re Gary, it’s a guard uniform), and if you’re ever curious who you’re looking at, they all have name tags. Also, make sure to keep an eye out in the Corner Pocket, as Madison and I are cooking up a 10th—and final—goose.