Amherst College needs a new mascot—and is accepting suggestions
So long, Lord Jeff.
Having officially dumped their longtime unofficial mascot earlier this year, Amherst College needs a new Lord Jeff per se—preferably without the weighty history.
The small, private Massachusetts liberal arts school announced Monday it will begin accepting submissions for a new mascot through November 30.
Amherst’s board of trustees announced in January it would stop using references to “Lord Jeff”—an unofficial tribute to Lord Jeffery Amherst, who gave the college’s hometown its name—amid recent student protests over the 18th century British army commander’s advocacy for the deliberate use of smallpox as biological warfare against Native Americans.
And so the college hands over its new namesake a submissions contest.
Unfortunately for Boaty McBoatface fans, Amherst has taken preemptive action against internet sabotage.
Submissions are limited to the population of roughly 23,000 living students and alumni, as well as the college’s faculty and staff. Additionally, the submissions will be narrowed down by a select committee of alumni, student leaders, and faculty.
The college also listed criteria upon which final submissions will be graded. According to the school, the new mascot should:
- be unifying for the Amherst campus and larger Amherst community;
- represent positive qualities, ideals or associations around which people can rally;
- be broadly relevant across the Amherst community, the student body and generations of alumni;
- be representative of the Amherst experience or history, either generally or specifically;
- work equally well for women’s and men’s sports teams; and
-
have the potential to translate in a visually pleasing manner.
After approval by the mascot committee, the five finalists will be voted on all Amherst alumni, students, faculty, and staff from March 20 to 31, 2017. The winner will be announced sometime next spring, according to the school.
Apparently, according to a New York Times report last year, a moose was a popular proposal among some students as a possible Lord Jeff replacement. But the Amherst College McBoatfaces also has a nice ring to it.
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