Chancellor Robert D. Coombe sent out the final decision on the fate of the Denver Boone mascot yesterday in an e-mail to students and alumni.

“The old Boone figure is one that does not reflect the broad diversity of the DU community, ” he wrote in the e-mail. “Consequently, I have decided that Boone will not become the official mascot of the University.

“The image will not be used in any official manner by the university, nor will we provide financial support for its use by others,” Coombe’s e-mail said.

The chancellor’s decision was supported by Peg Bradley-Doppes, vice chancellor of the division of Athletics and Recreation and co-chair of the History and Traditions Taskforce, and by Monica Kumar and Antoine Perretta, president and vice-president of AUSA Senate.

“It really honors everybody. We are Pioneers first and foremost,”Bradley-Doppes said in an interview. “I don’t see this as a divisive issue, but rather a memo that clarifies the university’s commitment to inclusive excellence.”

“[It] shows a great appreciation for the rich history of this university and for students and alumni,” she said.

She said the university has an “institutional responsibility” to be inclusive.

Kumar agreed. In a written statement, she said, “In my opinion, the Chancellor’s decision and memo does an excellent job at not only respecting all perspectives within our university community, but also truly acknowledges key values we hold at the University of Denver including a sense of community, inclusive excellence, and above all pioneer pride.”

The chancellor’s e-mail was a response to the student-led grassroots movement to replace Ruckus, the current red-tailed hawk mascot, with Boone. It also ends almost a year of discussions in the administration, the taskforce and the Senate.

Boone was drawn by Walt Disney in 1968 and was the official DU mascot until he was retired in 1998.

“While I certainly appreciate the genuine enthusiasm behind the ‘bring back Boone’ movement, the University simply cannot adopt an official mascot that has a divisive rather than unifying influence on our community,” wrote Coombe.

While many students and alumni were passionate about reinstating Boone, going so far as to create stickers and pins for the campus community, many expressed disappointment with what Boone represented, including Western imperialism.

Although Boone has been declared unofficial, Coombe encouraged students to honor him as part of DU’s history and traditions.

“…we are certainly an institution that honors its past. Hence it seems reasonable that students and alumni be allowed to use the image as a celebration of that past, to the extent that they may choose,” Coombe wrote.

Kumar said students should take advantage of this opportunity to unite and continue working to build a community.

“This is not a time for students to resist or feel disenfranchised. Rather, this is now our time for us as students to come together… It is time for us to work to define what ‘pioneer’ means to us and continue to building (sic) a community,” she wrote.

Perretta said students on both sides of the issue should be satisfied with the outcome.

“Students will be happy and should be happy with this response,” he said. “This is really a good closure for Boone.”

The taskforce will continue to meet in order to determine where the university goes from here and better define what it means to be a Pioneer, Bradley-Doppes said.

Students and alumni are encouraged to voice their thoughts as part of the ongoing discussion.

Perretta encourages continuing an engaged conversation.

“[Boone] had an amazing ability to bring people together regardless what side they were on,” he said.

He urged the campus community to “answer the call of defining our identity.”

“[Students are] some of the brightest minds that we have,” Bradley-Doppes said. “We want to them to embrace this clarity [provided] by the Chancellor.”

The fate of the current mascot Ruckus is yet to be determined, but Bradley-Doppes continually emphasized that DU is defined as the Pioneers.

Just like Boone unified I think Denver unifies,” she said. “It’s a proud mark; it’s a collegiate mark.”

Coombe said in his e-mail that the “arched Denver” logo is our “major symbol” due its recognition on campus and in the media.

“One thing is certain – we will always be the Pioneers,” wrote Coombe.

He encourages the campus community to continue to discuss “what it means to be a Pioneer, for today and the future.”