AMHERST — From the letter A to Zombie Cow — with Mighty Moose and Robert Frost in between — Amherst College officials have received more than 588 unique ideas for a new mascot over a six-week period this fall.
Published on the college’s website last week are 2,046 suggestions that came from 1,590 individuals between Oct. 24 and Nov. 30. Of those participating, 1,079 were alumni, 464 were students and 47 were faculty and staff.This marks the beginning of a process that is supposed to lead to the unveiling of the mascot next spring.
The need for a new mascot comes after the Lord Jeff was eliminated as the unofficial nickname and mascot by the college’s board of trustees in January. The college has been calling its sports teams “the Purple and White” this fall.
Among the duplicate entries are the Moose, or Mighty Moose. In one submission, a person wrote:
“The Moose is a strong, noble animal. It has ties to New England and the College, particularly given the visit of a moose to campus a few years ago.”
Another popular submission are Zephs or Zephyrs, with one person writing that “the benefits of becoming the Zephs are layered. It honors our founder, Zephaniah Swift Moore. It (most importantly?) jabs Williams with a similar-looking name.”
Williams’ sports teams are named the Ephs.
Others with muiltiple suggestions included Black Bears, Dinos, Hamsters, Honey Badgers, Pioneers, Poets, The Frost and Wooly Mammoths.
The former mascot was based on Lord Jeffery Amherst, commander-in-chief of the British forces in North America during the French and Indian War of 1754-63. But there was growing controversy around him due to his advocacy for wiping out American Indians by giving them blankets infected with smallpox.
Still, some who are participating want that name brought back. One person wrote, “The college is already a laughing stock over these events, and I see no reason to compound the problem with, for example, a moose — a dull, slow, oversized herbivore revered primarily by fans of forgotten 1960s cartoon series.”
Another wants the college’s teams to be named the Social Justice Warriors, sarcastically writing that it would “perfectly embody the current attitudes of the student body.”
And Redskins, which has come under fire for its use by a National Football League team, was proposed. “In order to alleviate the abuse perpetuated by our former racist symbol Lord Jeffrey, I suggest this gender-neutral mascot in an attempt to right some wrongs of the past and reduce the effect of microaggressions in our current sociopolitical climate.”
In December and January, a mascot committee will narrow finalists to fewer than 30 names, which “best unify and represent the Amherst community” and then winnow this to a final five that will be voted on.
The full list of suggestions can be viewed at https://www.amherst.edu/amherst-story/mascot/mascot-suggestions
Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.
