College of Wooster announces new Scottish terrier mascot, Archie, replacing the Highlander

WOOSTER − For decades the sword-wielding, kilt-wearing Highlander mascot led the College of Wooster sports teams into battle. It appeared on fliers, shirts, floors and buildings, but now the plaid-clad Scot is being put to rest.

In its place, the college introduced a new but familiar icon in late March − Archie the Scottish terrier.

The college announced the change on social media and its website, introducing the fierce black-furred canine with a yellow and black plaid bandana to the public.

"One thing our archival research showed was that the Scottish Terrier was part of our identity from early on, as far back as the early 1900s through today," said Melissa Anderson, a spokesperson for the college.

Students, faculty and staff submitted over 800 names with three being voted on including McWoo and Mac, she said. Receiving nearly 1,500 votes, Archie won out.

From Highlander to Scottie

For years students urged the college to change the mascot to a more neutral symbol that can represent the diverse identities of the COW community, according to a statement on the college website.

The swashbuckling Highlander was depicted as a white Scotsman wielding a sword and a shield who wore the yellow and black MacLeod plaid colors.

For students, according to the statement, this representation left out anyone who was not white or male.

Students who participated in a campus-wide survey of the logo said, "He looks white,” “He looks like a man,” “(He) doesn’t represent the values of the college,” “(It) needs to be more inclusive,” “(It) represents violence,” “(It) represents colonialism” and “(It) needs to be more inclusive.”

The Highlander was removed after the survey and informal talks in 2021, according to the college, which cited the Washington Commanders and Cleveland Guardians as organizations that changed their mascots for similar reasons.

"More importantly, however, no human mascot can represent all the diverse identities of our campus community and many human mascots raise serious concerns about racism, xenophobia, and are otherwise problematic," according to the college statement.

So, the college looked to its past. The Scottish terrier is a throwback to the college's early days. It also represents the modern College of Wooster, the college explains.

"The updated mascot reflects the collaborative efforts of students, staff and alumni, who generated ideas, gave of their time to help with the research efforts, design, launch events, and provided input along the way," according to the statement.

Despite the change, the college will still be known as the Fighting Scots.

Rebranding with a familiar face

This is not the first time the Scottish terrier has represented the College of Wooster. The dog predates the Highlander by roughly 60 years, said Melissa Anderson, a spokesperson for the college.

The college adopted the first Scottish terrier as a mascot in the early 1900s. Both literal and fake terriers donned a white outfit emblazoned with a "W," according to the college.

"The Scottish Highland Fighter with sword and shield was introduced in the late '60s/early '70s but a decade later the Scottish Terrier still was on the cover of our athletic programs," Anderson said. "It wasn’t until 2013/14, when we added the Scottish Highlander Fighter to our split W, that we started using it regularly."

But the Scottish Terrier remained part of the college identity, she said, so when it came time to rebrand, the dog only made sense.

Student reactions mixed

Student reactions to the change ranged from happy to unsure, with some concerned about Archie's design.

Third-year Connor Krucek said many students thought the design could be cleaner while some were sad to lose the overtly Scottish heritage of the Highlander.

"But we really can't do anything about it now, and I think the dog will be OK," he said.

Another student, fourth-year Abigal Beard, agrees with Krucek, but she wasn't surprised by the decision to change mascots.

Despite some criticism, other students were happy with the change like fourth-year Simon Kim.

"I think it's a fun change," Kim said. "I agree that the Highlander wasn't very representative of our community."

The future of the Fighting Scots

The Fighting Scots will retain their famous yellow and black MacLeod plaid colors, but all Highlander logos will be replaced with its canine successor.

While this is the end of the Highlander era, the college said all historical pieces will be saved in the archives as it is part of the Fighting Scots' history.

Street Characters in Alberta, Canada, will design and manufacture the new mascot costumes, which are slated to arrive in Wooster in June. The school is slated to recruit students to don the costume at games and events in the coming months.

New merchandise featuring Archie is available in the Lowry Center and on the Mayer Bookstore.

This article originally appeared on The Daily Record: Meet Archie: College of Wooster has new Scottish terrier mascot