When I first came to Dickinson College, I learned about the mermaid on the top of Old West and assumed that was our mascot. I suffered a rude awakening when I found out our mascot is actually a devil. Rather than pick something that reflects our storied history and culture as the first college established in the newly formed United States, we decided to adopt a mascot that literally anyone with a basic understanding of the Judeo-Christian tradition could have chosen. I encourage you to stop and ask yourself, why does Dickinson – a progressive institution that aims to include people of all faiths – retain a mascot from one religious tradition? Are we doing it ironically? Devils have no special association with our college or Carlisle, although sometimes the lack of tacos around here does remind me of hell. Perhaps more frustrating is that our current mascot looks like he has just finished gleefully urinating on the floor of a McDonald’s bathroom or bought GameStop shares. Honestly, The Dickinsonian should have a whole Colin Jost and Michael Che, SNL-style caption contest about what he’s smiling about.

Although the mermaid certainly has standing, there is another potential mascot who is more universally hated and feared: the mighty spotted lanternfly. After immigrating to the United States in 2014, spotted lanternflies found enormous success right here in central Pennsylvania. I had never heard of these critters before I moved here but damn – people hate them. They hate them more than Joe Biden or Donald Trump and yet, like those two older gentlemen, they’ll inevitably be back for another round. Despite every effort to destroy them since their arrival, these creatures have only increased in number and wreaked more havoc on the agricultural industry with each passing year. They are a home-grown American success story, albeit a rather dark one (but we want our mascot to be intimidating, right?). Their red and black wings match our school colors, and if Dickinson College adopted the spotted lanternfly as our mascot, we would be the first to do so in the United States. We would also have a more inclusive mascot clearly linked to our region’s distinct history and culture. If they’re going to eat our trees anyway, why not join forces with the spotted lanternflies? Let’s adopt them as our mascot!