Everybody –

Let’s give a warm welcome to the new mascot in town, a gold and black lion named “Roary” who will represent the Community College of Philadelphia:

 

Roary is part of a wider re-branding effort that gives the college a new identity. For example, the gymnasium is now known as the “Lion’s Den” and the cafe was renamed for Roary as well.

The genesis of this goes back more than a year, when the former mascot, known as “Colonial Phil,” was dumped after students petitioned for a change.

Here’s an explainer from Peak Johnson at Billy Penn:

When CCP students arrived on campus this fall, all signs of its former mascot — a Caucasian drum major wearing a tricorne hat — had been erased. On Tuesday, its replacement will be unveiled in a grand ceremony that aims to break a Guinness World Record.

The event marks the culmination of a two-year effort to do away with a symbol many saw as outdated and inappropriate.

“The institution felt that perhaps Colonial Phil was no longer representing the rich diversity that we currently have today compared to the 1960s,” David Asencio, CCP dean of students, told Billy Penn.

The movement to replace the symbol of colonialism, an era of slavery and other oppression, started within the 28,000-member student body, when a petition to replace the “offensive” symbol drew hundreds of signatures.

So now we have Gritty, Phang, Wingston, and Roary in the fold. Philadelphia could possibly be the world’s best mascot city.

And after the ceremony, attendees attempted to set a new Guinness World Record for “the most people roaring simultaneously.” Here’s the effort:

A great job by everyone.

Welcome, Roary.