The Story
Light It Up!
In the first week of August, the National Collegiate Athletic Association decided to ban the display or use of "hostile and abusive racial/ethnic/national origin mascots, nicknames or imagery" from the approximately 88 championship games under the auspices of the NCAA.
Although the NCAA’s decision only applies to the championship games that it runs, the resolution has led to a sense of bitterness among institutions whose mascots and references to athletic teams are well-known and long-standing. I’ll be the first to say that just because it’s a tradition doesn’t mean it’s a good thing. When it comes to the College, a little innovation (or lack of innovation, depending on how you view it) could be in order.
The College sometimes attracts negative attention for its use of “Tribe,” which can certainly sound ambiguous at times. I actually have no issue with that collective name, nor can I think of a better one. Our current mascot is neither Native American nor suggestive of any tribe other than possibly a group of horribly mutated frogs. A friend recently remarked to me that he saw Colonel Ebirt as a sort of "Barney for college kids." I can’t imagine he meant this in a flattering way, even though the good Colonel is a very amiable...thing. While I can’t offer a better alternative for our name ("Colonial Pride" strikes out lamely), I do think we could do something about our mascot.
I generally don’t base my thoughts on rumor, but I had heard murmurs that the College was considering adopting the Phoenix as a new mascot. Whether or not this is confirmable, I was thrilled at the prospect. I’ve always been a pyromaniac of sorts, but beyond that, I wracked my brain and really couldn’t think of a better symbol to embody the spirit of our great College.
The phoenix, repeatedly rising, bursting into flames and taking flight from its ashes again, is an image intimately linked with the history of this campus. In the Great Hall of Wren, a phoenix can be seen represented in the portrait of the Reverend James Blair, our first President. The Wren Building itself has burnt three times and each time re-emerged from its ashes.
During the mid-19th century, the College fell on hard times. The only sign that we still existed came from the annual trip into town made by Benjamin Stoddert Ewell, who rang the bell at Wren in order to let the townies know that we were still here, though at our weakest. From this nadir we managed to emerge in the 20th century as arguably one of the premier institutions of higher education in the country. Our spirit is one of resilience. No matter how rough times have been in the past, we’ve been able to pick ourselves up and achieve new greatness, even with the scarce amount of resources we’ve been given.
The students here can also take this image to a more personal level " how often do we all burn-out during the year yet somehow find the energy (or caffeine or adrenaline rush) to bounce back and finish the absurd amount of work we all do within one semester? Right...so maybe not all of us reach that level, but I’ll say it's enough of an issue to make the comparison.
People argue that the phoenix is too mystical or legendary to be our mascot. To that I’d say: where’s your imagination?! Ebirt isn’t really real either.
Most importantly, this is the place where we find our dreams and chase them into our adult lives. Whether or not we achieve those dreams, the College remains a haven for idealists who see the world through an incredible lens. In a way this place is magical, though not in any constricted literal sense. Keeping an open mind is essential to the liberal arts experience.
Paul Brockwell is a staff columnist for the DSJ. His views do not necessarily represent those of the entire staff.