The Bradley Scout reports:
Student Senate passed a resolution this week calling for University President Joanne Glasser to form a mascot committee. If formed, that committee would be responsible for slating ideas for a new mascot….
[Student Body President Kyle] Malinowski said there are several reasons senate wants to make the change now. Philosophically, it fits with the Campaign for a Bradley Renaissance because of the mindset of being in a renaissance as well as campus’ physical changes.
“The less philosophical reason is we have the best people in the position right now to do it,” he said. “We have a new university president who is all about shaking things up, a new athletic director, a new director of marketing whose job was charged by President Glasser to brand the university and we’ll eventually have a new provost.”
In 1993, Bradley decided to keep the Braves name, but use a bobcat as its mascot. In 2000, officials said the students had a “lack of affinity” for the bobcat and got rid of it. Then a survey for a new mascot was circulated in 2006-7 resulting in several options (including oddities like a fighting squirrel and a clock tower) but the university didn’t choose any of them.