Jumbos (Elephants)--Tufts There is no way that the entire student-athlete community has rallied unanimously around keeping Lord Jeff. By celebrating him as our mascot, we tacitly condone both the man and his actions. Amherst College said Tuesday it was dumping its unofficial mascot, Lord Jeffery Amherst, because the colonial military commander's advocacy for racial . With benefit of hindsight, one can ask whether it might have been possible to invent some deliberative historical inquiry years ago that would have produced a spirit of concord. The authoritative record of NPRs programming is the audio record. We want to be called the Moose because a moose wandered onto our campus last spring? Furthermore, many of our greatest heroes, including the Founding Fathers, conducted themselves in ways that today would be considered abhorrent. Who even cares about DIII sports. The selection board said people who suggested mammoths noted they are "impressive," "stupendous and monumental," and "near mythic.". Purple & White have been the colleges colors since April 30, 1868. The military commander, who led key British victories in the French and Indian War and for whom this town, and others in the Northeast, was named, wrote in a postscript to a letter in 1763: You will do well to try to inoculate the Indians by means of blankets, as well as to try every other method that can serve to extirpate this execrable race.. Weapons of mass destruction were used by both sides in both World Wars, but we must recognize and understand that the generals in these wars were operating in a situation that had no morally correct solution. The Moose sounds more like the mascot of a created team in a video game than a prestigious institution. [4] When I think of a Lord Jeff, I dont think of Lord Jeffery Amherst. var photocredit = photocredit.toUpperCase(); The moose chose us. And a November poll found 83 percent of students wanted the mascot gone. I disagree pretty seriously with most of what youve said, but I dont feel like your coming from a place of malevolence or hate. Thats true. The decision is the latest step in a movement that has swept the nations colleges in recent months to reevaluate racially charged names, symbols and even artwork embedded in campus culture. Adopting an official mascot isnt something that can or should be done by decree. Perhaps. var currentLocation = window.location; The Association of Amherst Students, the college's student government association, voted on Oct. 5 to officially oppose Lord Jeff as a mascot, according to the Amherst Student. White sheets hung over a controversial U-Ky. mural. Changing the mascot loses this connection. They rightly cherish memories of their own time at Amherst even as they have helped the college change in new directions. The selection replaces Lord Jeff -- which the school's board banished from campus 14 months ago. You obviously are not an athlete. BROWN: Removal of the mascot was a key demand in a three-day student sit-in for better diversity policies last fall. Thinking about these events leads immediately into gnarly debates about how we understand history, about the very nature of war, about the weight we give to words and actions, and about who has standing to render moral judgments. Amherst is one of a handful of institutions at the forefront of an enterprise that is both urgent and overdue: making the finest liberal-arts education available to the kind of diverse population this country actually has, and doing so in a residential setting that functions as a true community. Moose-scot: A Call to Arms - The Amherst Student Princeton University, for example, decided in November to review how it honors Woodrow Wilson. Many oppose keeping the Lord Jeff because Lord Jeffery Amherst is known for advocating genocide against Native Americans. Would Jews feel comfortable attending that school? Some Amherst Students Resist Decision to Remove Murderer of Native Rather, it "celebrates multiple poets who have taught, studiedor written poetry in association with the college or town of Amherst.". That the discussion of the mascot has been passionate was inevitable too. Some students, however, support keeping the current unofficial mascot in place. Whatever the ingredients, they were present then and they are present now. The town of Amherst was named after Lord Jeffery, and the college was named after the town. I take it you haven't been reading the Student this year? This is a fact, but we must take it with the proper perspective. Amherst College was named after Amherst the town. Some students at Amherst get wind of the idea of change and jump on board. The debate over Amherst's mascot has been ongoing since my days at the College. That doesnt invalidate the desire to change the mascot, however. Phone: 413-584-5000. Harry & Meghan Developing a Miss Havisham TV Show, The British Royal Family Playing Sports, in Photos, Just 40+ Photos of Kate Middleton Playing Sports, Sarah Ferguson Talks About Having Breast Cancer. The moose chose us. A lot of them begin with something like the following: I know there are far more important issues facing the college, but. I disagree with these arguments for the reasons the author states above, but I don't think any less of the people who make them. Changing it wont make your friends disappear or the knowledge you gained here evaporate. But he said he is in favor of changing the mascot. This is a fact, but we must take it with the proper perspective. Aftersoliciting the input of 441 student and alumni delegates, officials revealed the 30 semi-finalists in January. The search for a new mascot followed protests on campus last school year. The second element is the institution itself and how it has evolved. Murphy said the board made the decision, which was not quite unanimous, after lengthy debate on Thursday and Friday. At one point he suggested using blankets infected with smallpox. A colonial governor overruled them. What is beyond dispute is that the symbolic figure of Lord Jeff has become a source of division among us today. Rather, it celebrates multiple poets who have taught, studied or written poetry in association with the college or town of Amherst.. Lord Jeff had been embraced unofficially as a mascot by Amherst students roughly a century ago, he said, and that tradition aroused strong feelings. The push to replace Lord Jeff with a new mascot like the moose, a dragon or even a purple squirrel appears to be gaining momentum, as institutions around the country question their ties. Though the writing is not perfect, this expresses an opinion that, in the face of overly zealous politically correctness and forced "liberalism," rarely gets voiced on this campus. At Amherst College, Some Say It's the Mascot's Turn to Embrace Amherst College will always be the name of the school, he said. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information. As Sam Seham wrote, "When Lord Jeffery mounted his infamous biological campaign it was in the context of an all out war between combined French and Native American forces versus British colonialists. If one of the five wins a majority, it will be the next mascot. Its true that we, as Americans, use historically questionable figures all the time. We have it in our power to make a change, however small, in our community. Or maybe the college will stick with the namerecentlyapplied to its athletics program:The Purple & White.. On Thursday, college officials unveiled the final five mascot choices, selected by the mascot committee, that will be the subject of a vote by students, alumni, faculty, staff and friends of the college. But there has never been an official procedure for instituting a mascot. Sometimes there was dismay. The error was repeated in a picture caption. Lord Jeff was removed as Amherst's unofficial mascot following a student demonstration for increased equity in the school in November 2015. The fact that our mascot was someone who represented such poor moral values I really wasnt proud.. The colleges websiteprovides background information about why each mascot choice is appropriate. That's dangerous talk there. Defenders of the association with Lord Jeff come from all ages. Amherst College Dropping 'Lord Jeff' As Mascot By Vinny Vella | PUBLISHED: January 28, 2016 at 1:44 a.m. | UPDATED: December 12, 2018 at 5:25 p.m. AMHERST When Caryl-Rose Pofcher. . SYDNEY TATE: I feel like the mascot itself and the name does more harm than good for this school. And to top it all off, what on earth is this obsession with choosing ONE good thing to do? I agree, why would the mascot be a deer that happened to come across our campus for a couple hours? Both sides killed innocent people during the Second World War, but we must recognize and understand that the leaders in these wars were operating in a situation that had no morally correct solution. Be brave. The colleges website provides background information about why each mascot choice is appropriate. Thank you so much for writing this article. Both schools having unique mascots is part of the great history of the rivalry. Amherst Mascot Gets Thumbs Down From Faculty In his statement, Cullen Murphy '74, chair of the Board of Trustees, wrote the following: "The aim will be to generate as much engagement as possible, and to find . @AmherstCollege bids adieu to #LordJeff mascot, noting it was "driving people apart" https://t.co/IF3Si8AsNh pic.twitter.com/33Fssd97XL, The Lord Jeffery Inn, which is known as "The Jeff" and has served as a landmark for visiting alumni,parents, and potential students since 1926, will change its name to one that has yet to be determined. . I think often of coeducation, a move that many in my generation were active in promoting in the early 1970s. Now we are at 2016. Amherst is a college environment in which young people spend their everyday lives for a long period of time. Success always took time. I know student-athletes who are in support of the change. Far more meaningful activities are things like the Admissions Office inviting Native Americans to the Diversity Open House and spending extra time with them, in an effort to increase the amount of Native American applications sent to the college. While one undergraduateyesterday told the New York Times that he saw the move asas "a big step in the right direction for our community" considering "we're trying to be one of the most progressive schools in the country,"Donald McNaughton '65 told the paper that he and other alums "think of ourselves as Jeffs, and we always will. Amherst College's New Mascot: 'Mammoths' - New England Public Media It means equipping them with respect for diversity in many forms, including points of view and modes of argument, and with a bedrock commitment to critical thinking and freedom of expression. Lord Jeff was cut from the team following a student demonstration for increased equity at the school in November 2015. Princeton president and protesters reach agreement. Racism was more pervasive in the United States in the 1960s, but we must recognize and understand that the governors in these states were operating in a situation that had no morally correct solution. Why stop at the mascot? The process to pick a newmascot follows the removal of the controversial Lord Jeff as Amhersts unofficialmascot early in 2016. var tag_id = document.getElementById('buylinkammascots-hg-031817,ph01'); Cardinals--Wesleyan Yes, the mascot refers to Hitler, and no one denies the fact that he treated Jews as enemies, which to Hitler is exactly what they were. The best and most accurate thing I have read in the Amherst Student this entire year. Polar Bears--Bowdoin Its served asthe unofficial nickname of sports teams for the past several months. Feb 3, 2015 2 min At this point, it's hard to defend keeping the Lord Jeff as our mascot. Lord Jeff was adopted unofficially by students as a mascot roughly a century ago. ", Amend AAS Constitution to Fight Discrimination, Men's Basketball Defeats Emerson, Suffers First Loss to Brandeis, Women's Hockey Finishes 0-1-1 on the Weekend, Redmayne and Jones Triumph in Theory of Everything Roles, Women's Basketball Continues Undefeated Start, Now Stands at 6-0, Student Activism Should Not Be a Passing Trend, Rejuvenated Mens Hockey Bursts into NESCAC Lead. Judging from online commentary, there is also strong sentiment that it should not be a moose though scores of other suggestions have been floated. (the team does not feel comfortable associating themselves with Lord Jeff, so they have adopted no mascot; instead, they have chosen to represent the school). We can and will achieve this ambition. The privilege people like you speak of with such disdain? I feel the need to point out that suggesting the Moose is unappealing is not an effective argument for keeping Lord Jeff. The inns new name will reflect its deep connections with Amherst College and the town of Amherst. His name is given to Princetons famous Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, as well as a residential college at the Ivy League university. Great job. The school receives many complaints about the. I don't need to say anything else, because you've said it all in a respectful, logical way. Making coeducation work took decades and required changes large and small. If we were to change the mascot, after several years all the new students would love the mascot and no one would feel alienated by our current mascot's massive acts of bioterrorism. Polar bears, the most carnivorous member of the bear family, have hunted down and murdered seals for roughly 100,000 years. When students marched to the Board of Trustees to demand that the college start treating survivors of sexual assault like human beings, I did not think "It seems like everyone needs to be protesting something at all times." It is comments like yours that encourage division and hate. Theres a certain intensity, too. . Similarly, Amherst called themselves the Lord Jeffs because the namesake of the town Amherst where the college was founded was Lord Jeffery Amherst. BROWN: Not everyone considers the mascot a pressing issue. It is equally fair to decide that 18th-century standards should not govern a 21st-century choice of symbol. AMHERST Amherst College's board of trustees announced Tuesday that Its bound up with personal memories and personal experience. [5] It seems like everyone needs to be protesting something at all times. Ask student-athletes if they want their team mascot to be the Moose and you will hear a resounding no. In a couple of years well be giving tours to prospective applicants born in the 21st. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. They were Lord Jeffs. The college, founded in 1821, is in a cluster of prestigious public and private schools in Massachusetts around Interstate 91 and the Connecticut River Valley that includes the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. If the mascot must be changed because it is offensive to the Native American community for us to be called the Lord Jeffs, then the name of the college must be changed as well if we are to have any semblance of ideological consistency. . Yes, the mascot refers to [e.g., Adolf Hitler], and no one denies the fact that he treated [e.g., Jews] as enemies, which to [Hitler] is exactly what they were. Everyone voicing an opinion wants what he or she believes to be best for Amherst. Do you understand how alienating it must feel to know that this school's mascot is in part responsible for the genocide of your people? To "SportsGoSports", are you serious? A sign at Amherst College depicting Lord Jeffery Amherst, a colonial officer, handing blankets laced with smallpox to Native Americans. And I agree with the first part of the sentence and also with the but. The controversy over the mascot may seem small in itself, and yet in many minds its symbolic of larger issues. One demand from protesters was to get rid of Lord Jeff, named after Lord Jeffery Amherst, a British General who suggested using biological warfare against Native Americans. We think of ourselves as Jeffs, and we always will, said Donald MacNaughton, a member of the class of 1965. Some will recall that Lord Jeff flared as an issue even then, because of his gender. The liberal arts school founded in the early 19th. There is no specific time frame for this. Towns in Ontario, New Hampshire, Nova Scotia, New York, and Virginia are also named for Amherst. College Mascot Divides Campus | The Amherst Student who will replace Lord Jeff? - Amherst Bulletin The institution was named after the town, which in turn had been named after Jeffery, Lord Amherst . Amherst College Drops Mascot Criticized As Offensive

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