main content A New Mascot Era Begins

Who is a mascot for? What role does it play in the current life and history of a school? When is it time to move on—and how so? These are just a few of the questions that an institution-wide committee of 21 Lewis & Clark community members representing alumni, trustees, faculty, staff, and students grappled with last spring. After more than a semester of careful work, they recommended that Lewis & Clark begin a process to retire the Pioneer mascot in favor of one that students would more wholeheartedly support. A survey with more than 7,000 respondents had shown that a remarkably low 18 percent of current students thought that the Pioneer was an appropriate mascot for Lewis & Clark College today.

My hope is that we find something fun and that keeps the idea of a mascot bridging generations.”

Alex Chapelle BA ’24

In September, President Robin-Holmes Sullivan accepted the recommendation and announced her decision to begin a new mascot process. The ultimate goal? To increase school spirit and build a sense of community among current and future generations of students. “As a former student-athlete, I know what it means to wear a team name, carrying the responsibility of representing a beloved institution. We recognize that many alumni will always associate the Pioneer with cherished memories,” says Holmes-Sullivan. “But we’ve heard the calls from students for something new. The data shows that the vast majority of survey respondents agree—including more than half of alumni—that it’s important for current students to have a mascot they are proud of.”

Anna Ryan BA ’27, who plays on Artemis, the women’s ultimate frisbee club sports team, says, “We have so many sporting achievements to be proud of across the campus. This will not wane with a changing of the mascot. We support our athletes because of the hard work they put in, and they deserve to play hard under a mascot which they feel represents them.” That idea of instilling pride resonates on campus: “A new mascot feels like the perfect opportunity to reshape and strengthen school spirit,” says Jesus Romero BA ’27. “Something more relatable and charismatic could inspire pride and a deeper connection for all students, a unifying symbol we can rally around.”

Beginning this fall, Vice President for Student Life Evette Castillo Clark will lead a committee to choose a new mascot through a nomination and selection process that will engage students, staff, faculty, and alumni. “We’ll be seeking to invigorate our institution with increased enthusiasm and pride,” says Clark. “The process will be educational and forward-looking.”

“What’s important is that it’s an inclusive process, with a wide variety of community input,” says Alex Chapelle BA ’24, a member of the Mascot Report Steering Committee and past president of the undergraduate student government. “My hope is that we find something fun and that keeps the idea of a mascot bridging generations. I’m a Pioneer, but I think that I will also consider myself whatever the new mascot will be.” Lewis & Clark will be one of many colleges and universities that have updated their mascots or team names in recent years, including Amherst, Kenyon, and Division III rival Whitman. In each case, changing views of the historical mascot name led to community-wide discussions before a decision.

To read the full text of the Mascot Subcommittee Report and to learn more about the process moving forward, please visit college.lclark.edu/student_life/mascot.