The Chancellor told DU students in an email today, "The Denver Boone figure (left) is one that does not reflect the broad diversity of the DU community and is not an image that many of today's women, persons of color, international students and faculty, and others can easily relate to as defining the pioneering spirit" [see full transcript of email]
Chancellor Coombe "Caves In" On Boone Mascot
The Chancellor told DU students in an email today, "The Denver Boone figure (left) is one that does not reflect the broad diversity of the DU community and is not an image that many of today's women, persons of color, international students and faculty, and others can easily relate to as defining the pioneering spirit" [see full transcript of email]
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
18 comments:
While the Coombe's response was predictable given the tough spot he is in with university's large commitment to diversity programs, the fact that he's allowing DU students and alumni to use the image gives Boone a more legitimate, albeit subversive, new life.
So if that's the case what is a Pioneer then?
It's sure not a cock on steroids I know that much for sure.
They will never find a mascot that signifies the "Pioneer" spirit that is diverse enough. If it's a male then the feminist will start crying about how women aren't represented. If it's some white guy I'm sure some people of other races and color will cry about how some white guy is the mascot.
Plane and simple a Pioneer in our culture were the earlier settlers that traveled across this land, drawing the map of this nation, huntsmen, and I can keep going on and on. Because DU is a American School it should reflect our culture. Boone or any figure similar would represent these Pioneers... Our Pioneers.
I could also add that in other cultures Vikings, Conquistadors, or any other group that traveled to discovering new lands... even by accident could be considered a Pioneer to.
If DU is going to put Boone down for good then they should stop calling themselves Pioneers then. Because we would then be associating ourselves with these people that "destroyed" the Native's homes and did unspeakable evil to them.
This world of Political Correctness Pisses Me Off!
Ah, but you see a Pioneer can be more than a western settler - first timers, innovators, and barrier breakers are also Pioneers.
But those are much harder to show visually as mascots and have people recognize them as Pioneers....
The reality is that Coombe was caught between a rock and hard place the moment that Princeton Review a few years ago called DU one the least diverse schools in America, as he was forced to really upgrade diversity programs on campus, and that made maintaining a Western Pioneer very hard when Native Americans and other people of color objected to it.
Yes - PC stuff is annoying, but college campuses are not like the real world. They like to consider themselves inclusive utopias...
As much as I was fully prepared for this decision, it is still sad to see it become a reality.
This is a classic example of the utter stupidity of political correctness. In a time where the university is having trouble making ends meet, the university foolishly decides to abandon the only valuable asset they have in regards to trying to generate any merchandising revenue. I walked past the merchandise kiosk this weekend(downgraded in size from the shop) and I was disappointed to see that the were trying to sell a limited number of items with "the "arched Denver" logo that is now ubiquitous across the campus and in the media." There is nothing engaging about this logo and there is nothing representative of being a Pioneer. How are students and alumni supposed to feel a sense of community when the current DU community is represented by a logo as unique as one found one a t-shirt that you can buy at the airport gift shop?
Instead of embracing DU's history and taking advantage of the community that has already been developed around the Boone image, we will leave community building up to the history and traditions committee. This will naturally be a waste of time and money and will result in something that will make us yearn for the days of Ruckus the Hick Chicken.
I wish it were different, but I am sure Coombe weighed his options carefully before making his decision.
Unfortunately, merchandising profits at a school like DU are pretty small potatoes no matter what you sell - Boone or not, they probably less than $500k per year. For Chancellor Coombe, he'd rather lose that money plus any withdrawn disgruntled alumni donations and have the half or more of the current students not like his decision vs. being seen by his faculty and peers as not being strong enough on the diversity platform that's he's trying so hard to build. I think it's fair to say that he sees this decision as a moral one, not just a practical one, and he wants people to see DU as forward looking, rather than backward looking.
I wish it were different, but alas, I am not him.
Let's just make Johnny Applesead our mascot. He just planted trees.
Of course, the Orange Growers will get offended and that plan will have to be scrapped too!!
Typo...Appleseed
So the challenge before us going forward is to create some kind of pioneer image that does not offend the native americans...Tough assignment.
Have to love this world we live in. Kiss everyone's ass or forever be damned. What a joke.
Complete garbage.
Once again, we just kind of float up into the ether never to be heard from again. I agree with Billy J, there is NOTHING compelling about DU's image. Quite frankly, it is embarrassing. (We're both advertising/brand guys, so you'll hear alot from us on this.)
Sure, merch will never be a big revenue stream, but at LEAST get some cool stuff that we'd be proud to wear/display. It's like a promotions company was having a "sucker sale" and DU hopped to the front of the line. Foam finger, anyone?
For a school that claims Gale "Pave the Planet" Norton and Condi Rice, anything that has a modicum of cool (aside from the fact that Sinbad went to DU for a year) would be greatly appreciated.
I say we keep Boone for our own. Let's build a massive Cafepress store and see what DU students and alumni gravitate to: something cool, or something from the bookstore and "merch stores" that looks like it came from my DU era...1988.
In fact, I'll give the person who comes up with the coolest looking DU stuff $500. Could be a hat, t-shirt, jersey, logo...I don't care. If its cool, it could win $500.
The contest starts now and ends December 15th. Good luck.
Doug Zanger
Class Of 1991
dzanger@mac.com
www.xhangcreative.com
The "Bring Back Boone" Movement was picking up steam and the Chancellor was smart in one regard. He needed to chop it down, which is exactly what he did with this letter.
What kind of school charges $40,000 to enroll and then tells their students, "Sorry, you're not equipped to handle a decision (mascot selection) this complicated?"
A quick addendum to the contest:
ALL profits from a Denver Boone store will go to a charitable organization that you all choose. I'm open to suggestions.
Doug,
Love the idea and I think it has a chance to work. We've got wonderfully talented students at DU who need to be utilized in this mascot selection process.
When I first read the letter I was saddened and shocked. Not because I wasn't expecting Boone to get rejected eventually, I was. But the dismissive nature of the letter and the complete lack of facts supporting his reasoning.
Where's the compromise solution?
I can appreciate the Chancellor's position, and am appreciative that he "considered" the notion of bringing back Boone, but DU is not governed by a "unitary executive". It is a community to which we all (students, faculty, administration, alumni, and community) belong, and in which all of our opinions are valued.
Many institutions have multiple mascots (Auburn, for example) that mean different things to different constituencies. Others (such as Emory) have student or secret society run mascots (in their case, Dooley) that have survived the PC movement and even become pillars of the institution's tradition. At this point, the DU community should institute Boone as its own mascot. Buy the costume, make it an honor to be selected to be Boone for the year, and make it a private endeavor. He might have to buy a ticket to games he attends, but something tells me the support would be there (and then some).
Just because Chancellor Coombe has said that the movement "has come to an end" does NOT mean that the movement has (or will, or should) end. The support for bringing back Boone has been overwhelming. In fact, many of us will be MORE motivated to support Boone's return.
Anon,
Very well said. Great points.
dggoddard...
Get in touch with me via email and we can figure out how to get DU students involved. This will be alot of fun and hopefully very good for the charity we choose.
zanger@xhangcreative.com
Doug -
I would recommend an Ad on facebook too. Inexpensive & effective.
Coombe is way off base. This is about an Athletics Mascot, not a University Emblem.
The problem is all in the Name. Example:
http://www.sacredheart.edu/pages/
17998_new_mascot_big_red_makes_debut.cfm
Boone: BAD! Big Red: GOOD!
For DU, I would suggest...
Little Willie!
Post a Comment