Whether you are a first-year student or a senior, it is safe to say that everyone has seen the white goldfish that resides on the mailroom shelf. Students pass him by multiple times a week, but does anyone really know him? What is his story? Who is Liam?
Mail center clerk, aquatic enthusiast and RWU alum, Nick Cuccinello, is the proud father to Liam the Goldfish. After graduating from Roger Williams, he got a full-time job in the mail center.
“I never left because I love it here and here I am thirty years later,” says Nick. Having a couple of fish tanks at his house, one being 150 gallons, Cuccinello thought, “we should have a little mascot”.
“Liam is mail spelled backwards, and I thought of that all by myself,” proclaims Cuccinello. “When I ask students why his name is Liam, they say hmm and I say, ‘where are you right now?’ and then they get it right away.”
This may come as a surprise to most readers, but the first “Liam” was actually a crayfish. “Through the years there’s probably been at least fifteen different Liams, there has been anything from crayfish to goldfish to Siamese fighting fish,” says Cuccinello. Spring weekend on campus used to have a ping pong game where you could win a goldfish, and that is where some of the Liams came from. The current Liam was brought to the mail center over six years ago, and was only the size of a thumb nail. Cuccinello piped: “And look how huge he is now.”
Liam isn’t missing the full college experience, “on the weekends he has parties, and when it’s raining out, we put a little leash on him and give him a walk outside.”
Liam is quite the local celebrity, “I’ve been asked, can you do a Liam Instagram page” and is often asked for pictures from graduating seniors.
Liam resides in the mail center through summer and winter and is pampered all year round.
Just like a dog, Liam recognizes who takes care of him and perks up, says Cuccinello. “In the morning he is straight up begging for food.” Over the years, some students have brought up concerns for Liam’s living situation, but Nick assures them that Liam is living the dream.
“And everyone says, oh the tank is too small, it’s really not, that’s like a mansion for him, and he just loves it in there”. It is safe to say that just like his dad Nick, Liam loves it here at RWU.
I have no doubt that Liam will love seeing his picture in this issue of the Hawks Herald! Next time you find yourself in the mail center, be sure to give Liam a wave!
