The votes are in and it looks like the Ole Miss student body has said they want the Landshark on the field.
With over 4,000 voters the Landshark took 81 percent of the student body vote to be considered as the Universities on field mascot. The Ole Miss ASB made the announcement on their Facebook page Friday night.
Voting ends this evening for students at the University of Mississippi to have their voices heard on whether they would like to have the Landshark as their new mascot. Associated Student Body is looking to change the mascot from the Black Bear to the Landshark.
The Ole Miss Associated Student Body is looking to change the mascot from the Black Bear to the Landshark.
“After having discussions with the athletics direction and the chancellor and other relevant parties within the administration of the university, it already seems as like that organic transition is happening, but why don’t we see if students really want this to be the new official mascot for the University,” said Dion Kevin, President of the ASB.
He said that he hopes the poll will kick-start a movement from the university to make the transition to the Landshark.
“I felt like this was a good opportunity this year to start a conversation about the mascot especially with the football season where we kind of need an injection of energy and a little bit of excitement, also with the current political climate across the nation but particularly at the University,” said Kevin. “I feel like talking about a mascot that was more or less universally loved, it was something that we should do. If not now then when. Last year, the University acquired limited licensing rights to the favored landshark and fins up. There’s already merchandise out for the University kind of sponsoring that, so I felt like this was just a good time for the university to make a transition.”
In 2010 the ASB helped to facilitate the discussion of having a new mascot for the University.
Kevin said that since 2008 the landshark has permeated all of the school’s sporting events and has become a symbol of school spirit.
“Personally I think that the Landshark represents something that everyone can really get behind,” said Kevin. “I really feel like the black bear was more of a placeholder than anything for the University and now we have some sort of symbol like the Landshark, it unifies the student body and the fan base. I think it’s time to make that move.”
