We are the Savage Storm

Goodbye, Spirit Pony. Goodbye, hatchet chop. Southeastern Oklahoma State University is savage no more. Or are we? We're having a bit of an identity crisis. At the basketball game against Texas A&M-Commerce the other night, the SOSU jazz band still played the hatchet chop, even though we officially became the Savage Storm two weeks ago. A group of middle-aged men in the stands, however, adapted the supposedly Indian gesture to our new mascot by moving their arm in a circle instead of in the chop motion. (Get it, like a tornado?) Even President Johnson and his elite crew did it a few times. (I noticed PJ was wearing that uneasy grin, like Am I being made fun of or are they accepting this well?)

Here's my soapbox on the issue: We sidestepped the entire issue with our new mascot. SOSU made a political move to remain in good standing with alumni who are stubbornly attached to Savage. The defense I've heard for Savage a hundred times is that it doesn't offend Indians in this area. I think that's beside the point. The fact is, savage has throughout history been a derogatory name for Native people, not just Native Americans. I'm reading Wide Sargasso Sea for World Lit right now, and Mr. Rochester (yes, of Jane Eyre) continually refers to the Caribbean people and ways as savage. Do you think Mr. Rochester valued these people he's calling savage? He allowed them to wait on him, but he did not trust them, and considered himself superior to them. That's always been the connotation to the word savage. In Southeastern Oklahoma, the word savage has been tied with our school pride, rather than its historical meaning. But in the rest of the country, they think we're perpetuating racism. To me, tradition in the rest of the world should trump tradition in our little corner of the world, so that we can continue to be a university for all people.

Okay, I'm stepping down now. That's what I think about the issue. However, it won't bother me too much either way, because I really think a mascot is more about athletics than it is about academics.

Action-packed life

Sorry it's been a while everyone!

I'm now gainfully employed for SOSU as Information Technology Coordinator for the GEAR UP Partnership. GEAR UP is an acronym for Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs. We help high school kids prepare for college! I'm loving it! So busy I can hardly think straight! There's my office! (It needs some wall art, I know!)


Last night, Jay and I went to OKC to watch the Hornets/Spurs game at the Ford Center. We scored some free season tickets from one of Jay's rich Edmond contacts, so we were like 20 fee behind the Spurs bench! Hornets lost, and no Eva Longoria sighting, so it was a little disappointing in the end, but all around lots of fun. Shoutout to all the Edmond people we saw last night!!

Get this: Jay and I are dragging home in that weird vehicular state when you've been sitting down so long you feel full of energy and dead tired at the same time, and we're driving through Kingston when we see a cop. Don't worry, Jay wasn't speeding; we could actually see the cop's face for a split second, and J knew the guy--he sold him a house. I'm kinda like Hmph, and then after five minutes, he's still following us. Then his lights come on! I instinctually asked J if he was speeding , but it turned out to be a bored policeman friend who just wanted to chit-chat at midnight on the side of the road! It was a good conversation, but when we pulled out, J groaned and said, "You can't really not pull over when a cop turns on his lights..." and then headed for the house.

I'm going to take a digital pic of our doggies and post it...they're what makes our house a madhouse! We've just picked up another stray, a little cowdog mix (little now, but will be BIG) that is absolutely adorable. We named him Ranger b/c of his black mask markings. And we still have good ol' Shadow, who thankfully is no longer able to court all the ladies on the block all night long. Thank you, Dr. Frieda!