To the Editors:

I am afraid that Oberlin College has lost sight of the importance of its motto, “Learning and Labor.” As of January 2014, the Athletics department added an albino squirrel as a mascot to supplement our pre-existing mascot, the Yeoman or Yeowoman. The albino squirrel started appearing on team uniforms, and one can even buy shirts with the trendy logo at the bookstore. It’s now apparent that the Yeoman has been moved to the back burner and a cuter face has taken its place.

Unfortunately, the decision to add the squirrel was made without much student involvement. If the student body was considered, I am sure that the change would have been vetoed. In fact, I, along with many other student-athletes and parents, signed a petition in an attempt to prevent the squirrel mascot. I believe that recently hired staff members and eager donors, who lack an understanding of school history and values, are responsible for the decision. The squirrel, it seems, is most popular among teams with new coaches and younger students who don’t know any better. Whatever the reason, the albino squirrel has no place as our school’s brand — it doesn’t represent our student body.

Many would agree that the albino squirrel has become a played-out Oberlin cliché. The squirrel was once only a curious feature of Tappan Square — a mystery at which students would marvel and in which they would take pride. As the younger brother of a student enrolled then, I have noticed how my brother’s and his friends’ reactions to the squirrel are extremely different to those of the current student body. That pride they shared dissolved as the school started overusing it in its admissions and communications, putting squirrels on stickers, brochures and elsewhere. What was once a relatable symbol is now a commonplace marketing scheme, laughed at by students who are just plain bored with it.

I like the albino squirrels, and their spirit still lingers with me, even though that is a relatively uncommon feeling these days. The decision to add this mascot, however, is a step too far. I am a fourth-year player on the varsity men’s soccer team. Much of what I have experienced as a student athlete relates to the experience of a Yeoman. The Yeoman was a farmer who took responsibility for a small amount of land. It was also the name for the warders who guarded the Tower of London. To me, it represents dedication to hard work, individuality and loyalty. Moreover, the Yeoman is a unique mascot — no other school uses it.

It may be that the Athletics department wanted to give a visual with which students could identify. The Yeoman is not easy to picture — it represents a class of people and therefore doesn’t have a distinct face. But I don’t think this anonymity detracts from its use as a mascot. A Yeoman or Yeowoman can be anyone, but not necessarily one person. Rather, it represents a set of values. Regrettably, the school has failed in promoting our true mascot.