For the last year, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College has been engaged in a mascot/nickname selection process, and the Mascot Committee is pleased to announce that a nickname has been chosen for the College’s athletic teams.

After reviewing more than 1,100 votes and comments that were received from students, alumnae/i, faculty, staff, Sisters of Providence and friends, the Mascot Committee has recommended to SMWC President David Behrs that the athletic teams be known as the Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College Cavaliers. Dr. Behrs has approved this recommendation, and the change will take effect at the start of the 2009-2010 academic year.

SMWC conducted a mascot/nickname contest during the 2007-2008 academic year to identify ideas that would embody the history, traditions, spirit, pride and energy of the College and its athletic teams. The Mascot Committee, which consisted of students, alumnae, a Sister of Providence, faculty and staff, reviewed more than 120 entries for the contest and narrowed the number of mascot/nickname concepts down to three: Cavaliers, Hawks and Pioneers.

“We received several submissions that were related to trees, but since the Indiana State University athletes are the Sycamores, we didn't want to choose a nickname that would be too close to theirs,” said Deanna Bradley, SMWC athletic director and head basketball coach. “And, while a horse mascot of some sort was considered, we felt that choosing it would give extra recognition to our equestrian teams, and we wanted to ensure that all athletic teams would feel equally represented with the mascot choices.”

The Mascot Committee members used the following questions to evaluate each potential mascot/nickname:

•    Does the submission suggest pride, courage and a strong competitive spirit?
•    Does the submission inspire the creation of effective imagery and logos for use in promotion and marketing efforts?
•    Is the submission distinctive and unique to our conference and region?
•    Is the submission sensitive to College traditions, values and cultures?
•    Could the submission be considered offensive?
•    Could the submission make the College vulnerable to embarrassment by inviting mockery, humor or double entendre?
•    Is the submission appropriate for all of our current and future athletic teams?
•    Can this submission stand the test of time

The Cavaliers concept was chosen as a good fit for the College because Cavaliers are strong and determined leaders; they are honorable and loyal in character like all athletes strive to be; and our athletes, like Saint Joan of Arc, are spirited, courageous and committed to leading their teams to victory.

While the College has chosen Cavaliers as its nickname, the artwork for the mascot and the images that will be used for the Athletic Department’s marketing materials are still being developed.

The voting phase of the process allowed the Mascot Committee to gather valuable feedback on all of the presented mascot concepts, and that feedback has now been handed over to the campus-based Graphic Design IV class. There are three students in the class who are working on the project, and two of them are student athletes. They are reviewing all of the comments that were received and developing artwork that will be presented to the College this spring.

The Mascot Committee believes that partnering with the design class will be quite beneficial for the College and the students. The mascot development process will benefit from the artistic talents of these graphic design students and their knowledge of the College and its athletic teams. In return, the students are getting the opportunity to create mascot artwork and marketing images that will be associated with the College’s athletic teams for years to come. These items will make impressive additions to their resumes.

“Our class is extremely excited to be a part of something so important to the future of The Woods,” said Amanda Trimble. Trimble is senior at SMWC majoring in journalism with a minor in graphic design. She also plays on the SMWC Basketball Team. “It's definitely different than any design work we have done and it makes the challenge more fun! We already have some great ideas that we've been bouncing around and can't wait to collaborate and make it amazing. With the three of us being seniors, and two of us being student-athletes, we are honored to have the opportunity to leave this legacy at SMWC.”

Once the students have developed their designs for the mascot and the supporting marketing materials, those items will be shared with the College community. They hope to complete this process in March.

The College would like to thank everyone who participated in the mascot submission and selection process. We appreciate all of your wonderful feedback and look forward to working with you as we continue through this process.