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Voting Underway for New Converse Mascot
October 2007
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| Tom McDaniel and Madelyn Young promote the mascot competition by wearing their shirts three times a week throughout the event. |
The nominations for the new Converse mascot are in and the voting has begun. Remember, this first round of voting is “American Idol” style, meaning that you can vote as many times as you wish for as many nominations as you wish. Cast your vote here.
This first round of voting will continue through Sunday, October 14. The final votes will be cast October 15-21.
View the current list.
A Change Will Do You Good
The selection process for choosing the new Converse mascot has captured the imagination of the public and the media. Hundreds have taken up the charge since the opening of online suggestions in late September, and multiple stories have appeared in television sportscasts and in print. You can see some of the media coverage by clicking the following links:
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| Members of the basketball and volleyball teams sport their shirts before practice |
“Great idea to make us a part of the change. I do feel it will bring support to the athletes that may not have been there before!”
and
“As a former athlete at Converse I never really thought All-Stars was the greatest mascot, but having been there and played as an All-Star I (now) feel like it's great. Perhaps with a new mascot, there will be more support from the fans, and more importantly, from the faculty and staff.”
to
“I love the current mascot and don’t want to see it changed.”
and
“All Stars relates so well to the name Converse I can't imagine my alma mater being anything else!”
Some mascot nominations are obviously intended to be humorous, but most students, alumnae, faculty and friends were thoughtful in connecting their name suggestions with Converse so they resonate in a meaningful way. For example, “Trailblazers,” or “Blazers” for short, was suggested by an alumna who commented, “Converse has produced many strong women that have blazed the trails for others and today, continues to produce strong women.” Several nominations were made for “Pioneers,” with one nominator stating, “Our founders were Pioneers…the current body (faculty, students, staff, and alumnae) are pioneers as well - in new areas where women have yet to go…in new fields. Betsy's speech even dealt with the idea of forging a new path for Converse. Isn't that Pioneering?”
Some suggestions were inspired by the former mascot and other recognizable Converse icons such as Winged Victory and Pink Panthers/Red Devils. The “Comets” came with the remarks, “I think it's a great name and also relates to the stars that have been part of our name before.” And “The Victory” was nominated with the reasoning, “It's a good idea because it conjures up images of winning teams, it's inspirational, it's powerful, and it's positive. Like our Winged Victory statue.”
“Valkyries” received several nominations, with one submission stating, “In Norse mythology, the Valkyries are beautiful battle-maidens who rode winged horses to battle and governed victory; they transported the male warriors to Valhalla (the eternal feasting place) and inspired Wagner's opera Die Walkure and the ‘Ride of the Valkyries’.” A suggestion for the “Red Robin” was submitted with the comments, “I am glad that Converse has finally decide to choose a mascot! The reason I think it needs to be the robin is because of the multiple layers of symbolism of the creature. Birds symbolize the spirit, and the robin has a distinctive and beautiful song (Converse is known for music). The robin is also aggressive and energetic, (wouldn't ‘When the Red Red Robin Comes Bob-Bob-Bobbing Along’ make a funny and cheery pre-game pep song? So that’s my vote, and the robin can wear Converse All-Stars, too!”
Factors in the mascot name change range from the growth and advancements in elevating the athletics program to more practical issues that accompany an elevated status, such as the need for sponsorships and the need to register a trademark and servicemark of the Converse mascot as athletics-related commerce increases. Many of these issues stem from competition in NCAA Division II and the College’s new conference membership. “Stepping up our program to be competitive on a Division II level means lots of changes in athletics – changes that require significant investment in our coaching staff, recruiting of talented athletes, and expansion of facilities,” said Beth Lancaster ‘96, Director of Communications. “Converse also needs to secure sponsorships that provide funding similar to that which our peer college athletic programs enjoy, and with an unofficial affiliation with a Nike shoe we are unable to attract interest of other sponsors.”
Jeff Willis, Professor Emeritus of History and College Archivist, said “The name ‘All Stars’ goes back only to the 1970s, when we had a very limited athletic program. Converse now has an expanded athletic program, a full-time athletic director, and a new athletic complex. It is appropriate to mark this new era by giving our teams a new mascot.“
Lancaster reflected on the evolution of traditions at Converse, saying “Most of the traditions I remember fondly as a student were not around just a decade or two before I came to Converse, and many have evolved at least somewhat since then. But the essence of what is important – sisterhood – always remains. Our students revere traditions of the past and have helped mold them to fit the needs of today’s student lifestyle.”
The voting rounds in the coming weeks will reveal more about what the greater Converse family thinks is the best suggestion for a new mascot. Whatever the future holds, Tom McDaniel, Senior Vice President, is looking forward to seeing the competition unfold. "A new mascot is just what we need to energize the campus in support of our dynamic athletic program and our new conference affiliation,” he said. “Besides, it was always hard to figure out exactly what an "All Star" mascot should look like.”
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