By Christine ShullGuest Columnist
As a member of the student body of San Diego State University, Imust take a stand on the mascot and nickname issue. How is using thename “Aztecs” for our mascot offensive? A school mascot, particularlyat SDSU, represents a glorified figure and receives reverence fromthe entire student body.
How is the honoring of one’s heritage causing division orpromoting racism?
Before SDSU, other than actual descendants and those enrolled inHistory 101, no one knew or cared anything about the Aztec culture.The individuals fighting the cause should feel fortunate that thefounders of SDSU even chose to use the name Aztec to represent anesteemed college.
By removing the Aztec as mascot, Aztec descendants are doing adisservice to their own people.
Has anyone from the anti-Aztec mascot platform taken the time tothink about the ramifications from a monetary, student morale andschool reputation standpoint? Has anyone looked at the bigger pictureand seen the amount of money needed to make such a transition?
Proponents of a mascot change need to understand the moneyinvolved with a mascot transition would be translated into highertuition and education costs. I can not foresee Aztec Shops eating thecost to mark down, or destroy, every item of merchandise reflectingthe Aztec name, logo or mascot. Nor do I imagine alumni of SDSUcontinuing their generosity.
What about those businesses that bear the current school mascot’sname? Should they change their business name as well?
Of course, I am assuming those students protesting the mascot namealready boycott such places of business.
Where does this end? What about all other Aztec referencesconnected to SDSU? So, are Montezuma Hall and Monty’s Pub going tobecome No Name Hall and Anybody’s Pub? And what about the actualthoroughfare, Montezuma Road? Should the city of San Diego berequired to substitute a different name and absorb the costs ofmodifying the street signs and maps?
How do these liberalists feel about other school or team mascots?What about the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, or the San Diego Padres?Should the Notre Dame and the Padre organizations change their namesto follow suit?
Do Notre Dame students worry that every Irish-born student oncampus carries the brand of aggression, anger and the inherent desireto fight? Does the Catholic church care that a man of God has beenportrayed doing the Macarena? With this type of precedent any mascotname will find its way into the ill graces of any hungry minority orspecial- interest group.
I ask the Native American Student Alliance, should its abhorrentplan succeed, what should we call our new mascot? Are we going toadopt some arbitrary mascot, such as a wolverine, a patriot or atitan? Of course, the animal rights activists, the Young Republicansof America and the “Student Alliance of Greek Heritage” would put astop to such a blatant move toward discrimination.
Perhaps we could go with the genderless, nondenominational,macroculture, ageless, generic figure as our new mascot. All of ournew T-shirts and stickers would be blank.
I implore University President Stephen Weber and the UniversitySenate to use logic, something amiss so far in these proceedings,when forming a decision on this issue. Please see through thebleeding heart rhetoric and consider the majority position of theentire student body. When did minority rule come into play? Ourcountry began on a foundation of democracy, where each person’s voiceis heard, and the majority vote rules. The Associated Student Councildoes not represent this majority.
Finally, I ask the antagonists, specifically NASA members, to takea step out of their philosophical highchair, remove their blindersand take a good look at the real world.
–Christine Scull is a communication senior. Please send e-mail todaletter2000@hotmail.com
–This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of TheDaily Aztec.
