What is DU? Many (myself included) believe our former mascot Boone defines what DU is and what it means to be a Pioneer. Representing strength, resiliency and a sense of exploration, qualities that frontiersmen had in the past and DU students have in the present, Boone is our symbol of past progress and future aspirations. He is an icon of triumph and success that DU has achieved since 1864 and should be our mascot today and for years to come.
However, many people disagree and do not believe Boone and this quintessential part of DU history should be present in the future. Boone is seen as representing intolerance, racism and the dark side of America’s westward expansion, a symbol of the cruel and inhumane acts American settlers perpetrated many centuries ago. As DU moves into the future, many steps have been taken to stop and reverse Boone’s presence on campus.
Creating a steering committee to adapt a new mascot, physically removing Boone from campus and eliminating him from the campus psyche and most recently rejecting a USG proposal to allow clubs to keep Boone merchandise without consequences, is evident of the devotion and depth these individuals will go to eliminate Boone from DU’s future. This process is harmful and damages our pride as Pioneers. It is attempting to reject our history and replace a deeply embedded part of our livelihood with something foreign to DU. We are the Pioneers, and we love our school. Our history and mascot are ours, and it is critical to keep a treasured part of our history and work towards keeping Boone as a part of our future.
However, it is also our duty as DU students to recognize the flaws in our past and the history behind our traditions and our school. We must recognize our triumphs and our failures, and move towards the future at peace with our past. We must understand the immoral actions that shaped the United States and realize the evil acts committed by those who once settled in these lands. Once we can accept our past, our future can be defined, and we can move forward with the knowledge of our faults and flaws.
I believe Boone should be our mascot, and although a dark past surrounds him and America’s past experiences with westward expansion, it is wrong to eliminate this piece of our history. We must accept that our history is filled with flaws and reconcile with that past. But now, more than ever, it is critical for DU to be united in spirit and pride. Go beyond the mascot, go beyond the controversy and what you will find is a devoted and loyal group of students, who are proud to announce to the world that they are Pioneers. It is time to resolve this conflict and create a future that recognizes our past with reverence to our faults, but full of pride with our successes. We are Pioneers, and we define DU, so let us work together to create a future of which all Pioneers can be proud of.
What is DU?
Many call it “the Ivy League of the Rockies”, some call it a school devoted to athletic and academic excellence, but we, as Pioneers, call it home. As students here, DU encompasses our past successes and experiences, but also encompasses our dreams and aspirations for the future. We define DU, and DU defines us. Let us now work together to honor and understand our past while we continue to achieve new heights and define a new age of progress for the future.
