WCSU In Danbury Announces New Mascot Identity

DANBURY, CT — The Colonials are now the Wolves.

Western Connecticut State University in Danbury announced Tuesday that the school had completed its search for a new mascot identity, begun in 2019. Chuck the Colonial, the fierce Revolutionary War era soldier ever grimacing beneath his tri-cornered hat, will enjoy a well-deserved retirement.

The move comes as numerous sports teams from high school through the professional leagues have begun to reevaluate their mascots following accusations of racism. The Colonial is also the mascot for Division I school George Washington University, not without some controversy.

In the kick-off to the search three years ago, WCSU President John Clark wrote that the plan was to find a mascot "that better reflects today’s Western Connecticut State University— a university where racism and hatred have no home."

A Mascot Advisory Committee co-chaired by Student Government President Patrick Moody, a
Digital & Interactive Marketing major from Bethlehem, and associate Vice President
for Enrollment Services Jay Murray, began working toward a final ballot to the community where a new mascot identity would be chosen. The most recent roster of the committee consisted of four students and six staff/administration.

"The five mascot options on the final ballot were derived from submissions from the
community in town halls and previous ballots that have taken place in the past two
years," Moody said. The committee then consulted with Connecticut Board of
Regents legal staff, a representative of the Mohegan Tribe, and an educator from the Institute for American Indian Studies to consider the cultural and legal implications of the five identities.

The committee sent an email ballot to students, alumni, emeriti, faculty and staff in late March containing the final five options, along with a unique voting link that allowed only one vote per recipient. From the more than 27,000 ballots sent out, just under 3,000 responses were received. Fifty-one percent of the votes cast were from students, 39 percent from alumni/emeriti and 10 percent were from faculty and staff. Wolves received 49 percent of the total votes cast.