Grads get weird new mascots

Posted: May 22, 2017

What the heck?

Luke Von Arx looks at the least intimidating college mascots that will greet the 2017 M.A. graduates

1. Saint Louis University Billikens

A Billiken is a charm doll created by an American art teacher who says that he saw it in a dream. On the campus of SLU the Billikens is known as a good luck charm.

Senior Sophie Willman will be the only senior attending Saint Louis from Minnehaha next year. When she was asked about Saint Louis’s nickname she said, “The mascot is actually super creepy, but it is also cool that no other school in the country has the same nickname.”

2. Tulane Green Waves

During the 1920 football season there was a song written for the football team called “The Rolling Green Wave” which really made no sense with their nickname at the time, which was Olive and Blue. Once this song was written the nickname stuck and they’ve been the Tulane Green Waves ever since.

Abigail Gillmer will be the only one attending Tulane from Minnehaha in the fall. “I’m not sure why Tulane chose the Green Wave,” she said, “but I like it, so Roll Wave!”

3. Luther College Norse

The ‘norse’ refers to the region the founders of the school came from and they were called “Norsemen”.

The one person from Minnehaha going to Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, is Steven Johnson. “I think it’s cool that the nickname had a lot of history behind it,” he said, “but it isn’t the coolest or the most intimidating nickname around.”

4. Minnesota Golden Gophers

In 1858, the year Minnesota became a state, Minnesota got the nickname the Gopher state. In about 1930 they decided to use the nickname Golden Gophers because an announcer called them that because they had all gold jerseys and the nickname stuck. Many seniors will be going there next year, including James Wong.

“I’ve never actually seen a gopher in Minnesota before,” Wong said, “so it doesn’t really make sense, but I do like it for our mascot.”

You may also like…

ISS class to send microalgae experiment to space

This school year the International Space Station (ISS) project class decided to send microalgae into space. You might wonder why. “When the algae get under stressed conditions on Earth, they produce an antioxidant,” said Tim Swanson, teacher of the class. “Algae also...

Becoming the Best

What made MA's star athletes reach the elite level?   What made them who they are today? What made them strive and succeed at what they love? Maybe it was the “IT Factor” as 7th grade Jalen Suggs told his coach.  So many highschool athletes dream about reaching...

A Dress: The story behind a unique spring play

Finding words to address gun violence For the first time, M.A. Players will perform a play written by a current student -- and take it to a summer festival in Scotland Story and photos by Maya Giefer Johnson and Josephine Johnson It’s late February 2024, and Jaeda...

Guthrie Theater Play Review: A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Under moonlit mischief and a pulsing musical heartbeat, Shakespeare’s classic comedy soars. Where laughter, live music, and theatrical chaos combine to create an unforgettable Midsummer night. Renowned for its romance, pranks, and magical mayhem, Shakespeare’s A...

1-on-1 with Izzy Daniel

The Toronto Sceptres rookie reflects on her 2nd game in her home state Izzy Daniel, a Minnesota native and 2019 Ms. Hockey finalist, played her second game back in her home state while playing for Toronto this season. With Toronto picking up their first win this...