Highlands: An Unsolicited Mascot Suggestion

According to Houghton lore, the College took on the identity of the "Highlanders" in the 1960s when the switch was made from intramural to intercollegiate athletics. Supposedly, it was decided rather unceremoniously through a survey conducted by the Star with a whopping total of 17 votes. So, what better time than Houghton's transition to NCAA DIII athletics, and what better place than the Star to bring forward an unsolicited suggestion?

I hereby propose that Houghton should adopt Highland Cattle as our school mascot.

Alright, I know what some of you are thinking: "Houghton is rural enough, and you're suggesting that we put the image of a cow all over our athletic wear?" Stay with me. First, some background.

On a family trip to the UK a few years ago, in the misty Scottish highlands, we came across the majestic animals known as the Highland Cattle or Highlands. Highlands have a distinct appearance because of their shaggy, often reddish hair and due to the fact that both males and females have horns. Casually, I thought to myself that would make an awesome mascot for Houghton.

As I later learned, these shaggy, sturdy animals are well-suited to their environments. The parallels that can be drawn between the Highlands and our resilient Houghton students are uncanny. According to the online scholarly journal known as Wikipedia, Highlands are "a good breed for cold northern climates and they are able to thrive in outdoor conditions that would defeat most other breeds…" Furthermore, according to the American Highland Cattle Association, Highlands are "suitable for a variety of environments," and "tend to be docile and calm and do not stress easily." Also, "Highlands are slow maturing making the meat tender, flavorful and succulent." Okay, well, maybe not that last part. But you get the idea.

On a particularly slow day in the office one summer (yes, I did use work time for this), I had some coffee, and my creative juices started flowing. Displaying the liberal-arts prowess that I honed at Houghton, I Googled  a screenshot of the movie "Braveheart," copied it into Microsoft Paint, and then pasted the head of a Highland on William Wallace's body. It's probably the best thing I've ever done. I did the next logical thing and posted it to Facebook. After some constructive criticism (and a desire to avoid an SGA resolution due to possible demonic associations), I decided that going with the "Minotaur" look was probably not the best idea. The Highlands would have to stand on their own.

Getting to the point, here is my proposal: we maintain our identity as the "Highlanders" but switch the images on our athletic attire from the "Scottish lion" to the "Highlands." If you're looking for a mental picture, think of the University of Texas mascot, the Longhorn, but shaggier. In fact, if you want a real look at some Highlands, there is a farm near Houghton that has several.

In the extensive research I did on this, the only other school that has an association between their athletics and the Highlands is the New Jersey Institute of Technology. Apparently, they adopted some local Highland Cattle at a nearby zoo. Their athletic wear, however, is a Scottish character with a sword and shield. I'm pretty sure we'd be the only college with this as a mascot. How cool would that be?

Now, I was a proud Highlander back in my undergraduate days of running cross-country at Houghton, so I mean no disrespect to the fine folks in athletics. I know how much care and attention went into the transition to our current look a number of years ago. Think of this as a friendly suggestion.

In summary, consider these points:

1.    Highlands look awesome.

2.    Both males and females grow horns -- gender neutral!

3.    It'd be nice to have an actual mascot that we could have at athletic and other events.

4.    Google Highland Cattle, read about them, and tell me it isn't a good fit for Houghton.

5.    Highlands look awesome.

Think about it.