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Volume 54 lssue 14
Forums held to evaluate mascot choices
Students judge potential logos, colors of finalists
By Elise Dunnigan
Staff Writer
DimninganEN@aol.com
Six students gathered
Friday Nov. 18 for the
Student Government
Association sponsored
mascot forum. This
forum was the second
of two designated for
students. The first one was
Wednesday Nov. 16.
The forum was a way
for students to voice their
opinions about the mascot
change and their thoughts
about mascot logos.
Questionnaires were given
to students fill out.
Eric Rickabaugh,
owner of Rickabaugh
Graphics, led the forum by
showing students examples
of logos of the top six
mascot choices.
“The task force
thought it would be easier
for people to choose a
mascot if they saw the
logos” Rickabaugh said.
The top six mascots
are: West Georgia
Mustangs, West Georgia
Patriots, The Brave of
West Georgia or The
West Georgia Brave, West
Georgia Firebirds, West
Georgia Wolves and the
West Georgia Redhawks.
Students, faculty.
Professor's passion
impresses students
By Jennifer Dickerson
Staff Writer
jdickerl @my.westga.edu
In "The Canterbury
Tales,” Chaucer’s Oxford
scholar says that “gladly
would he learn and gladly
teach.”
At the University of
West Georgia, it is Dr.
Bob Powell that strives to
live by those same words
each day.
It was at Clemson
University, while pursuing
his master’s and doctorate
degrees, that Powell felt
it was his true calling
to become a teacher. As
a student, he began to
observe his professors and
was motivated by what
they did.
He has spent all of
his 38 years since his
graduation as an astronomy
and physics teacher at the
University of West Georgia.
On June 1 of next year, he
will be named the head of
the Physics Department.
At West Georgia, he
has reached far beyond the
expectations of a teacher.
“The Student Voice at the University of West Georgia since 1934 ”
staff and alumni of
the University of West
Georgia had a chance to
vote for their favorites
online. The six mascots
with the highest votes
were chosen.
There were n i ne forums
that gave all interested
parties the chance to voice
their opinions.
Rickabaugh has
owned Rickabaugh
Graphics for 20 years.
They have specialized in
collegiate identity design
for 15 years and the
company has designed
logos for Ohio State, Texas
A&M and Vanderbilt.
They have also done
logos for the Philadelphia
76ers as well as National
Hockey League and Major
League Soccer teams.
The companies corporate
and retail branding clients
include The Coca-Cola
Company and Toyota.
Joy Clifton, SGA
senator said “It’s time to
give the students something
they can identify with.”
All of the examples
of the logos were red, blue
and white. Students also
could decide if an accent
color like silver or gold
could be added for variety
to the logos.
There were two
Powell is known to his
students as the one they can
call on no matter the task.
“He is very dedicated,”
student Lisa Hartsfield said.
"He puts whatever extra
time and effort it takes to
help you understand.”
Powell structures his
classes to not only teach
students, but to also help
them appreciate education.
“In addition to
mastering the course
content, I want my students
to appreciate learning and
to see a demonstration of
courtesy and a work ethic,”
he said.
To his students, Powell
is more than a teacher; he
is a friend and a mentor.
And, to a certain group of
girls on campus, he is an
advisor, but is better known
as a father.
Powell first began
advising the Chi Omega
sorority in the fall of
1971 when Greek life first
began on the West Georgia
campus. He noticed several
girls in his classes wearing
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examples of logos for the
Mustangs and Patriots.
Most students liked
the second logo for the
Mustangs because it did
not have snort’s coming
from the horse’s nose.
The logos for the
Patriots could also work
for The Brave.
Erin Reynolds, a
UWG student felt that the
logo for the Firebirds was
too busy. The logos for the
Firebirds and the Wolves
had hidden W’s to signify
the W in West Georgia.
All of the
monogramming for
each logo had the letters
WG instead of UWG,
something that did not sit
well with many students.
Reynolds also said
the university fought
hard to drop the “State”
that used to be in front
of the University of West
Georgia, so to use the
letters WG instead of UWG
would not be appeasing.
Rickabaugh stated that
many students have voiced
the same concern at the
other forums.
The NCAA has
approved the name The
Brave. The Brave is the
mascot that many alumni
of UWG and members of
the Booster club want as
Art students pour molten iron
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Phillip Spradley pours molten iron into a sand mold while Amanda Duncan looks on outside the Art Annex Sat
urday, Nov. 19. Once cooled the molds were broken apart to reveal iron sculptures. Arts students in sculptures
classes had been working on the molds for weeks, and the iron pour was just another step toward a finished
piece. Once the iron scultpures are removed from the molds, students must then work with the pieces to remove
excess Iron and add texture.
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Photo h\ Brad Gill
Eric Rickabaugh, center, of Rickabaugh Graphics shows students potential logos for the
top six finalists for the new UWG mascot. There were two forums designated for students
to voice their opinions and fill out questionnairs concerning the six finalists.
the new mascot.
However, many current
students do not want to see
the mascot changed to The
Brave because they feel
that it is not a true change
from the current mascot
The Braves.
Lola Jimoh, SGA
senator, said “I personally
don’t feel The Brave
should have made it to
the top six.” Jimoh also
feels that The Brave and
the current mascot, The
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Wednesday, November 30, 2005
Braves, are too similar.
She went on to say that she
feels if The Brave wins
as the new UWG mascot
that all of her efforts
as a student member of
the Identity Task Force,
which has worked to
find a new' UWG mascot,
would be in vain.
"We will keep working
on it until we make as
many people happy as we
can.” Rickabaugh said.
He went on to say that
the final decision could
happen as soon as three
months from now but he
said this timeline is “purely
a guess”.
The next step for the
task force is to review the
questionnaires and take the
process to the next level.
Those who wish
to view the designs and
related information for
the six potential mascots
should visit the website at
http://mascot.vvestga.edu.