ary ▁of ▁S G D 3 , 5 0 0 . ▁ ▁M asc ot ▁ ▁Y ale - N US ▁launched ▁the ▁College ▁M asc ot ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 7 . ▁The ▁Y ale - N US ▁College ▁M asc ot ▁- ▁' H al cy on ' ▁- ▁ ▁emer ged ▁as ▁a ▁representation ▁of ▁the ▁blue - eared ▁king fish er ▁species ▁found ▁rarely ▁in ▁Singapore . ▁The ▁orange - and - blue ▁mas cot , ▁colours ▁of ▁Y ale - N US , ▁found ▁ready ▁accept ance ▁as ▁it ▁also ▁enc aps ul ates ▁the ▁core ▁identity ▁of ▁a ▁young ▁academic ▁institution ▁in ▁quick ▁and ▁confident ▁asc ension , ▁ready ▁to ▁take ▁on ▁the ▁world . ▁ ▁The ▁mas cot ▁was ▁rat ified ▁by ▁the ▁student ▁body ▁on ▁April ▁ 7 , ▁ 2 0 1 6 ▁after ▁three ▁r ounds ▁of ▁voting . ▁Since ▁rat ification , ▁the ▁Y ale - N US ▁Student ▁Government ▁held ▁focus ▁group ▁discuss ions ▁to ▁gather ▁feedback ▁on ▁the ▁mas cot ▁design ▁and ▁name . ▁The ▁name ▁Hal cy on ▁emer ged ▁from ▁one ▁of ▁these ▁student ▁focus ▁group ▁discuss ions . ▁ ▁Re actions ▁Ob ser vers ▁in ▁the ▁New ▁York ▁Times ▁and ▁the ▁Chron icle ▁of ▁High er ▁Education ▁see ▁Y ale ' s ▁move ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁a ▁larger ▁movement ▁of ▁the ▁global ization ▁of ▁higher ▁education . ▁Y ale ▁faced ▁criticism ▁for ▁its ▁invol vement ▁in ▁Singapore ▁because ▁of ▁the ▁government ' s ▁restrictions ▁on ▁freedom