Officials have narrowed the list of 10 potential moniker options to four finalists to replace the Colonials moniker.
The four finalists that could replace the nearly century-old Colonials moniker include the Ambassadors, Blue Fog, Revolutionaries and the Sentinels, according to a Monday release. The release states that students, faculty, staff and alumni can weigh in on the finalists by rating “hype videos” that represent each of the finalists from March 20 through April 28 in the “Try It on For Size” phase of “Moniker Madness.”
The release states officials narrowed down the list of 10 moniker options after the “First Impressions” phase of “Moniker Madness,” a series of activities from February to March, including a survey where students, faculty and staff could rate each moniker option and an activity during a men’s basketball game where attendees could choose a pennant with their favorite moniker on it earlier this month.
“It has been energizing to see so many members of the GW community participate in the development of our new moniker,” Vice President for Communications and Marketing Ellen Moran said. “As we begin this next phase of feedback, I hope all GW community members continue joining us in this deliberate and thoughtful process for developing the new moniker.”
The release states GW community members may “select” branded merchandise for each moniker finalist at athletic events and other on-campus events through the “Try It on For Size” Phase, which will run through April.
Officials announced a list of 10 moniker options in February – which include now-omitted options like Catalysts, Fireworks, Truth and Independents – after hosting student focus groups with Chicago-based marketing firm Yes& Lipman Hearne at the start of the semester.
Officials released a set of guiding principles for the new University moniker in January, which outline themes and personality traits the moniker should embody, like tenacity and “shaping the future,” formally closing the door on a Hippos moniker, which many students view as the unofficial mascot of GW.
The Board of Trustees will announce the new moniker by the 2023-24 academic year, officially retiring the Colonials moniker following years of pressure from student activists who said the moniker glorified the legacy of colonialism, slavery and racial discrimination.
