UPDATE: Voting has ended to name the new mascot. Please plan to attend Rock the Block on Friday, September 16, to find out what our winning name is!
9.6.2011
Dear Longwood students, faculty, staff, alumni, and community members,
I want to thank you for your continued enthusiastic participation in our new mascot selection and naming process. We are thrilled with the reception that was given to our new mascot at the GAME 2.0, and we have been equally excited about the number of people who have suggested names for it. We received over 150 unique name submissions for our horse! The Spirit Initiatives Committee wanted a name that easily related to Longwood, but that was also unique, creative, and thoughtful.
Before moving onto the vote, we did want to honor several names that were creative or entertaining but that didn’t quite crack the top three. We have listed a few of these below, along with their submitted explanations:
Best Explanation for Name
Leroy - Honestly, who would want to mess with a mascot named Leroy, I mean nobody wants to mess with a big guy named Leroy.
What is the name of Joan of Arc's Horse?
Charger - This was the name of Joan of Arc's horse
Charles - This was the name of Joan of Arc's horse which may have honored her Patron, King Charles VII
Destiny - Some say the name of Joan of Arc's horse
Papo - I googled the name of Joan of Arc's horse and one result suggested the name was Papo
Creative, but Slightly too Intense Award
Alastor - Greek name meaning "avenging spirit." In mythology, this is the name of the daimon spirit of family blood feuds, the afflictor of vengeance upon children for the crimes of their fathers.
Be sure to attend Rock the Block on Friday, September 16th to find out what our winning name is!
Thank you.
UPDATE: The Longwood Spirit Initiatives Committee will release three (3) names for voting on Tuesday, September 6.
August 22, 2011
Mascot Photo Gallery
Mascot Introduction Video
Facebook Photo Gallery
FARMVILLE, Va. -- Longwood University introduced its New Mascot at both a pregame pep rally and again at halftime of The GAME 2.0, the school's season-opening home intercollegiate athletics contest Sunday night, August 21, featuring the women's soccer 2-0 victory past visiting Howard University. A well-received strong, muscular-appearing 'Horse' character was presented that plays on the Lancer Logo while connecting to a part of the school's culture and history as well.
The GAME 2.0 (Greatest Athletics March Ever) was played before a
record-crowd of 1,839, and included pregame tailgating, the pep rally introducing the new mascot, and a march from campus to the soccer facility prior to the opening kick.
“The new Longwood Mascot was enthusiastically received during its debut,” said Lancers’ Director of Athletics Troy Austin. “The great energy from the crowd and the night’s events have provided Longwood a great start to the school year.”
A Longwood Spirit Initiatives Committee was formed in early March with a presidential charge to establish a new mascot and school fight song. Longwood President Patrick Finnegan asked Austin to chair a committee of faculty, staff, students, and alumni to work on finding a new mascot and creating a school fight song. The new fight song will be introduced later during the fall semester.
The committee released two sketches on May 1 that were voted on for the new Longwood Lancers mascot. Alumni, Faculty, Staff and Students were emailed on May 2 with instructions on how they could vote online for the mascot, and voting continued until May 9, with over 4,300 votes received. The mascot is a costumed individual celebrating Longwood school spirit. There is no intention to change the school's athletics nickname and/or logo.
Now, the new mascot needs a name ...
The Committee will now oversee the naming of the new mascot, taking name suggestions until August 29 via email (spirit@longwood.edu) in order to select three names to be voted on. The new mascot's name will be announced during the school’s ‘Rock the Block’ festivities on Friday, September 16, at the Longwood Landings in downtown Farmville.
