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Show fOOMUM 22, 2006 5 ra! PafaricEss ay Booze it: and loose il: fi. brief history of the Westminster Griffins A I NOW: Students hear voices telling them of missionary style. saws?: Know one knows the origins of the Griffin, but this legendary creature appears throughout history in myths, fables, folklores and dreams. Were Griffins real, or part of someones imagination? These creatures have the tail and body of a lion and the head and prominent wings of an eagle. This mythical creature is dubbed Westminsters mascot. But it hasnt always been that way. When the search began to explore the possibility of a new mascot in the late 1990s, the students, faculty, staff, alumni and Board of Trustees were encouraged to brainstorm together. When Phil Alleto, for Student Development and Enrollment Planning, was in office, he received more than 80 suggestions for a new mascot. The final 80 were broken down to Mugs of green beer are full to the brim, people pinch each other for wardrobe violations, 'W ' I The Westmister THEN: Patrick is ordained by St. Germanus. NOW: Students drained and thousands gather in the streets to watch parades. Celebrated all around the world, St. Patricks Day has been an excuse for people to get drunk for more than 300 years, but is this an appropriate way to commemorate the Patron Saint of Ireland? Although St. Pat may be rolling over in his grave in response to the corrupt ways his life is celebrated, I noticed a few similarities between the raucous parties of today and his quiet life in the fifth century. taps of Guinness. THEN: Patrick gave people aid from the streets. NOW: Students watch parades from the streets. THEN: Patrick throws down the idol of Crom. NOW: Students throw down Irish Cream. THEN: Patrick banishes snakes from Ireland. NOW: Students consume an Irish drink called snakebite. THEN: Patrick discourages worshiping other gods. THEN: Patrick gets in a pinch and is enslaved as a teen. NOW: Students discourage worshiping the porcelain god. NOW: Students get pinched for not wearing green. Vice-Preside- nt increased students in and out of state to enroll. In an interview conducted by The eight: the owl, the knight, the oquirrh, the wizard, Salt Lake Tribune in May the yhetti, the Scot, the 2005, former Westminster student Matt McMullen said, highlander, and the griffin. Could you imagine being She Stock provided us called the Highlanders or with everything a kid could the Yhettis? want out of a college. I had The school unveiled a great experience here and the new mascot during a I cant say for sure I would have if she didnt come in homecoming celebration on Nov. 6, 1999. The mascot and make those changes. Before leaving, Stock over change was part of an image overhaul implemented by saw the construction of a former Westminster Presinew library, the residential dent Peggy Stock, the first village, an open student female college president in center, the Gore School of Business and an improver Utahs history. She wanted aviation program. to change the schools image when she took over in 1995. Its been a little over Stocks vision was to expand five years since the old, unidentifiable Parson mascot and increase the schools resources by implementing a hung up its costume and retired. The frequent renew identity. mark is, Nobody knows In addition to the new what a Parson is, said the mascot, Stock also brought unofficial campus historian, back the basketball proKaren Hendry. The school gram to form a sense of community around campus. was nicknamed the Parsons in the 1920s when a Utah Unfortunately, when the school took action to bring sportswriter thought the school was named for some back its sports programs, the Utah Jazz were asked to ministers in the West. The title stuck even though the find another place to pracschool gallantly tried to tice. The Jazz had practiced evoke that it was in the Payne Gymnasium not for 18 seasons. When Stock retired from referring to a building rather than a preacher. Westminster in 2001, it had Parson means person. changed from a commuter Protestants began calling school into a distinguished their ministers parsons as a and respectable national response to Catholic views college. Westminsters new towards priests. The idea identity influenced and West-min-st- West-minist- er er behind the name was Protestants believed priests were on the same spiritual level as any ordinary person, where Catholicism thought just the opposite. The explanation for the new mascot was because the school no longer carried a religious affiliation with the Presbyterian Church, said current student body dent Chris Wharton. presi- THEN: St. Patricks relic, a goblet, is placed in a shrine. NOW: Students relish in drinking goblets of wine. However you chose to celebrate the life of one of the worlds most famous saints, next year, try to remember that it isnt just about getting drunk and wearing green. Joking aside, St. Patrick is responsible for many contributions to both the Catholic church and Irish history, and should be remembered as a humble, devoted man. THEN: Patrick gets a master who is a Druid. NOW: Students get plastered by a fluid. THEN: Patrick escapes slavery and is guided to a monastery, where he becomes a monk. NOW: Students escape school and are guided to a distillery and Monks House of Jazz. . THEN: Voices told Patrick to become a missionary. The mascot change dem- onstrates the schools ability to adapt to a new generation and shift forward. The capability to increase the consumption of knowledge and adaptability are just two key concepts to survival. It is generally known through- l out history animals not extinct have had to adapt to new environments to survive, and some might say its the fittest that doesnt become extinct. There were perhaps other obvious reasons the Board of Trustees wanted to change the school mascot: The Parson did not accurately reflect the symbolism of the school anymore and resembled some odd looking man. Some disagree with the Griffins status on campus. Whatever it was, the upgrade might have not been such an upgrade at all since the Griffin statue near the cafeteria looks almost like a yellow Easter candy-peesaid a student who wanted p, to remain anonymous. A $ V |