Rutgers Students Demand Greater Mascot Diversity–
The Rutgers Student Body passed a bill to push for diversity of the school mascot.
They want a black, Latino or trans companion for the school mascot.
Students want a transgender companion for the mascot to hang out with during games.
Campus Reform reported:
Students at Rutgers University are hoping to diversify their mascot in a move to expand ethnic and gender diversity.
Members of Rutgers’ Student Association (SA) recently passed a bill to create black, Latino, Asian, and third-gender mascot friends to accompany the school’s original “Scarlet Knight” mascot adopted in 1955.
According to the Daily Targum, the bill came to fruition after first-year student Emmet Brennan noticed the mascot’s fair skin and blue eyes while working as a press box server during the university’s football games.
“This does not seem right,” Brennan, who also serves as an SA parliamentarian, told the Daily Targum, adding that “our mascot does not represent how diverse we are as a school.”
After taking issue with the mascot’s complexion, Brennan began collaborating with student Mohamed Asker who currently serves as the SA’s student affairs chair. Asker is also a member of the Arab Cultural Club and assisted Brennan in drafting the bill.
Although the bill passed the SA, Brennan said there “were some concerns over the mascot possibly being offensive if it wasn’t done properly.” To assuage those concerns, Brennan consulted with the university’s black, Latino, and Asian cultural councils and has encouraged his peers to contribute to the process of creating diverse mascot friends.
