The Papermakers and the Like

Saturday night we went out for a very late dinner (thus breaking another mommy rule) with one of Peter's nephews who has been staying with us for the last couple of days. He is a high school sophomore at a small high school across the river. We were talking about my daughter's school, when he said:

"Our high school has the worst mascot. " I smiled and thought how typical it is for a teenager to think that school mascots are corny.

"It is Papermakers! " He blurted out as if we were the only company he was not embarrassed to share this with. I almost chocked on my lemon flavored water when I heard this.

"And when we have games, this big thing comes out, they call it the MEAN MACHINE and does its little dance."

"What does it chant?" I asked. "We will cruuuuuuush you!?"

I was fascinated. Having had grown up and lived in the same city all my American life and not being too big on school rivalry stuff, I only really know a handful of mascots. I guess I always assumed that school mascots are supposed to signify strength, pride, leadership and the qualities alike. So, I've decided to enlighten and amuse myself some more and found these higher ed schools that have pretty interesting, if not embarrassing mascots. At the risk of exposing my ignorance, here it goes:

• University of California-Santa Cruz is home to Sammy the Banana Slug.---Yummm!

• Volunteers of the University of Tennessee---while noble, pretty lame wouldn't you say?
  

• Texas Christian University is home to Horned Frog ---So what that it is a state reptile?
  

• Scottsdale Community College is home to...............brace your self...........Artie the fighting Artichoke! ---An aggressive vegetable? This guy sure does not look like it:
  

• The North Carolina School of Arts has a Fighting Pickle for its mascot.---Why? Because it is an art school??? I am so inartistic.
  

• Southern Arkansas is home to Mule Riders --slow but strong???

These make the "papemakers" sound pretty darn good. Which one do you like the most?