Officially, Boone is gone. We are in the process right now of trying to figure out his replacement and the new mascot of DU. Regardless, Boone and what he meant to some students and alumni will be impossible to truly replace.
DU is the home of the Pioneers. None of the replacement options, though, are pioneers. This will leave us with a mascot that does not match up with the symbol of our school. In that respect, it will be impossible to replace Boone because despite how anyone felt about him, he was a pioneer.

Also, Boone was the legacy of many, many graduating classes before he was removed. That is a memory that cannot be easily discarded and forgotten. Boone will remain the mascot of some alumni even though he may not be the official mascot anymore. How can you replace something that meant so much to certain people? The answer is you can’t. Although he may be gone in name, Boone will always remain in the memories of those who admired what he meant to this university.

I should also note that the unconfirmed replacement options are, in some cases, a bit ridiculous. Among the proposals thrown around were a Labrador retriever, a jackalope and a robot. What do these mascots have anything to do with being a pioneer? The robot is supposed to represent the pioneering spirit through a technological lens.

But that is a bit of reach. Students rallied around Boone. Boone was an icon—a symbol of the DU spirit that made it easy to want to be a DU Pioneer. I fail to see how these replacements can do the same thing. While they are unconfirmed, they certainly will not be a mascot that will generate great spirit and that will captivate the DU student body.

Boone will always be a part of this school’s history and memory. Yes, he was a divisive figure for some people on this campus, but this isn’t a rant about whether or not we should have kept Boone. Simply, this is a statement that any replacement choice for Boone will not have the same feel, spirit and impact on this university that Boone did.

The footprints Boone left on the hearts of the alumni will never fade. The image of the pioneer he was will never be matched again. No mascot will ever be able to fill Boone’s shoes.