Mascot

Seventy-four years ago, Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School moved to its current location at 4301 East-West Highway. Thus began a long and glorious tradition of superior secondary education. Our predecessors embarked upon a journey through unexplored territory, making their mark upon the clean slate of history. Amidst the clamor of new beginnings, they conceived of a mascot that would represent the student body:

The Highwayman

A remarkably witty reference to the new street address. And they saw that it was good. Five years later, however, the Highwayman was beginning to lose that new-mascot smell. The school was becoming a subject of increased public attention, and fame has a nasty tendency to breed vanity. Some students felt that the Highwayman did not impart an image consistent with their own moral stature.

I’m paraphrasing here, because the article detailing these events disappeared in the redesign of the B-CC website (conspiracy anyone?). But you get the idea. A nationally ranked school can’t be represented by the symbol of a common criminal.

So a contest was proposed, to elect a new mascot by popular vote. I am loath to admit the Tattler’s complicity as the purveyor of this contest –– truly a sad moment in the history of the publication. Needless to say, the Baron was proclaimed victorious, nudging past the Highwayman to break the tape in a close finish. He officially took office in the spring of 1940. His term would last for the next 70 years.

We can applaud the students for their loyalty to democratic ideals. Certainly the Baron represented those students who voted for him. But those students all graduated decades ago (presumably––we’ll save graduation rates for another article). Their mascot can no longer be said to characterize our school. Unfortunately, the office of mascot has no term limit.

Back in the day, one of the founding fathers argued that unless a term limit was assigned to the presidency, “his office, nominally four years, will in fact become for life.” His name was Thomas Jefferson, and he wrote the Declaration of Independence. This policy was later adopted as the twenty-second amendment to the Constitution. So I think there is some pretty serious precedence here.

Why was the concept of term limits so important to the founding fathers? As with many of our principles of government, it was a direct reaction against the British monarchy. The king is sovereign for life. He does not rule at the mercy of public opinion, as with our elected officials.

These are the ideals the Baron stands for. Feudalism, hereditary rule, extortion against the lower class… A system of oppression that our forebears spilled their blood to overturn. Is the Baron really a worthier mascot? Socially endorsed robbery a more noble pursuit? Think Robin Hood vs. Prince John.

Of course, in the end, it’s not a question of which mascot is morally superior. It’s a question of which mascot is cooler. And the Highwayman is undeniably cooler. Plus, the Baron logo is totally a rip-off of Notre Dame. What’s up with that?

Therefore, by virtue of this article, in order to more accurately represent the values of the current student body, I hereby urge the Tattler to sponsor a new mascot competition.