By Emily Lovell, Associate Editor
Paw prints have been appearing around campus. Signs were put up promising free donuts but none could be found. Rumors starting spreading that Regis was changing its mascot to a fox instead of a ranger named Roamin. Then, we all received the emails that confirmed it: Regis University will be making a complete switch from Roamin to the fox, but we will still be the Regis Rangers.
For clarification, the “Roamin’ shadow” logo will be retained on all athletic materials, uniforms, and the Field house, but the fox mascot is set to appear at athletic events and to be featured on Regis athletics apparel. Regis University’s school colors will stay the same.
But why the switch? Surveys and polls were conducted within the Regis community over the past year, and the responses to Roamin were quite negative overall. So, Marketing and Communications came up with the goal of creating a new mascot that represented the Regis spirit. They decided upon a fox because foxes are “fun, inquisitive, intelligent, and full of cura personalis.” The fox is also a unique choice for a mascot; not many other schools have it. Furthermore, not only do they call Colorado their home, but the Regis University campus as well. So next time you find yourself walking around campus in the evening hours, keep your eyes open for a glimpse of one of these beautiful creatures.
You may have noticed that the fox was referred to as a “she” in the emails and may be wondering about the significance of this. Historically, Regis has had all male mascots, and there are very few standalone female mascots in general. Our Marketing and Communications team originally wanted the mascot to be gender-neutral in order to be inclusive of everyone, but decided to make the fox a female because it is something that almost no one else has done. As a sort of compromise, however, the costumes that she wears will be more masculine.
As of right now, she has yet to be named. But, members of the Regis community will have the opportunity to vote on names during Ranger Week which is April 8th-13th. Come cast your vote and welcome the fox into our community!