|
A mascot is some thing, typically an animal or human character (but not always; for example, Stanford University's mascot is a color,
and its band's mascot is a tree) used to represent a
group with a common identity, such as a school, professional sports team, or corporation.
American university sports teams are often identified primarily by their
mascot. Sports team merchandise often bears the team logo as well as mascot. The team will employ an individual to accompany them
to home and away games whom dresses up as the creature.
In the United States, there has been controversy surrounding some mascot choices, especially those of human characters. For
example, the Champaign-Urbana campus of the University of
Illinois' mascot is the "Fighting Illini," a reference to the Native
American Indian tribe after which the state of Illinois is named. This choice
is considered to be offensive and politically incorrect
to many, and may be a case of exploitation of an oppressed race. Others counter that the university is attempting to honor their
heritage and recognize the contributions of the First Nations of America. Such debates are not unique to large universities:
Alfred University, a school of about 2,000 students in Western
New York State has the "Saxon" as its mascot. Its representation is a charging
knight in armor. Meant to symbolize strength and courage, others protest that the Saxon represents chauvinism and rape.
Wikipedia is currently having a vote to decide its mascot. [1]
See also: list of mascots, List of unusual U.S. college
mascots
This article is a stub. You can
help Wikipedia by expanding it .
Mascot, New South Wales is also
a suburb of Sydney, Australia. It
contains the city's main international airport, Kingsford Smith International
Airport, which is sometimes referred to as Mascot.
|