Ole Miss Readies for New Mascot Selection Process

It's been seven years since the University of Mississippi removed its former mascot, Colonel Reb, from use. The school dropped Colonel Reb after years of complaints—some of it from Ole Miss coaches and athletic boosters who said the mascot, along with other old symbols of the Confederacy, hurt the school's image recruiting prospects. Now, the school has a chance to redeem itself with a brand-new mascot, one that catches eyes and makes the Ole Miss community proud. 

Because the mascot is a school pride issue, the administration says it will consider a proposal from the student body if students come up with one. The Daily Mississippian published a guide for the student body's vote on whether students want a say in picking the mascot. The vote will take place Tuesday. 

The voting starts with a simple question: "Do you support a student-led mascot movement or not?" Now, to be clear, that doesn't mean, "Do you want a new mascot?" It means, "Do you want the student body to be involved in picking a new mascot?" 

According to the Daily Mississippian's guide, if students vote yes, then the floor will open up for the entire student body to take part in the decision process, as opposed to just elected student officials. If students vote no, any number of things could happen, the worst of which would be that no mascot would be selected and Ole Miss stays mascotless. It's just a hunch, but I think the students will want a say in their new mascot. 

In the meantime, what do you Paper Trailers out there think? What should Ole Miss pick as its mascot? 

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