I got my BA from Meredith College. It’s a great school–a small, private, Southern, women’s college. It’s very steeped in tradition, and that’s part of its unique charm. Right now, some folks are looking to change the face of Meredith College. For as long as anyone can remember, the Meredith mascot has been the Angel. Now they want to change the athletic mascot to something else…Meredith Meerkats anyone? There’s been a lot of protest over the potential change, and Louise Taylor, former professor of English and Department Head, has written the following fabulous poem:
To the mascot shoppers
So you don’t like the
Angel.
You’re ready to dump it.
You want something scarier
than Gabe and his trumpet.
There’s a range of names out there.
I’ve googled the lot.
And is Angel the wimpiest?
Definitely not.
There’re Banana Slugs from Santa Cruz.
From Washburn, hail
the Lady Blues.
Whittier fields Poets.
And trust me, folks,
Scottsdale suits up
Fighting Artichokes.
The Violets play
for NYU.
The Yaks of Yakima
are no scarier than you.
Would you rather be a Hokie,
a Hooter, a Zip?
Of the iceberg of mascots,
you’ve seen but the tip.
Crusaders and Pilgrims,
and that’s not all. A
team of Missionaries
play in Wall Walla.
If being an Angel seems a bit of bad luck.
Be glad you’re not a
Richland Thunderduck.
There’re Wildcats and Cougars
and Tigers galore.
But it’s only at Meredith
that Angels suit up and score.
If you look, you can find
a mascot’s that’s scarier.
But the Angel’s unique,
and it seems sad to bury her.
I like it!