Behold the curse of Sleeping Beauty! This timeless tale, originating from folklore and popularized by Disney, captivates audiences around the world. The story follows the enchantment of a princess who falls into a deep slumber after pricking her finger on a spindle. Only a true love's kiss can awaken her from this eternal rest. The curse of Sleeping Beauty serves as a metaphor for the dangers of indifference and the power of true love. The princess, known as Briar Rose, represents innocence and purity, while the spindle symbolizes recklessness and danger. The curse itself is a warning against the consequences of carelessness and the importance of making conscious decisions.
Historically, we’ve had few mascots but many nicknames. As we paged through old athletic programs and the archives, a few things were abundantly clear: Our unwavering affinity for the black & gold, loud MacLeod plaid, and Scottish Terriers.
We even held a First-Year Seminar class in Fall 2019 on the Fighting Scots as a historical concept and asked students to think critically about what it meant to have the Highlander with shield and sword as our mascot. After a five-month long process in which the College solicited mascot ideas from students, employees, alumni, donors, and community members, more than 300 mascot ideas were submitted by more than 1,700 people.
The curse itself is a warning against the consequences of carelessness and the importance of making conscious decisions. Throughout the story, various attempts are made to save Sleeping Beauty from her eternal sleep. Princes from far and wide come to break the curse with their true love's kiss.
A Return to Our Roots
Determined, fierce, kind, hardworking, intelligent, inclusive—These are just a few of the words Wooster students use to describe what it means to be Fighting Scots.
In a world where opportunity is not distributed equally, creating a diverse, equitable, welcoming, and inclusive campus community must be a top priority. We are not able to achieve this priority without also examining the most visible symbols we use as a campus to reflect our values, character, and culture. This includes our school mascot.
Because no single human can attempt to represent all the diverse identities of our thriving Wooster community, The College of Wooster on March 30, 2023, introduced an updated mascot that reflects the inclusive community we aim to create while also paying homage to our storied history and heritage.
The Scottie dog has served as a source of pride for generations of Fighting Scots beginning with our earliest days of existence and will be sure to do the same for generations to come.
The updated mascot reflects the collaborative efforts of students, staff and alumni, who generated ideas, gave of their time to help with the research efforts, design, launch events, and provided input along the way.
New Scottie dog costumes arrive on campus this summer in time to recruit and train a new roster of student mascot performers who will work to entertain crowds at home games, admissions and alumni events, and engagements across the local community. The costumes will include MacLeod plaid kerchiefs and matching kilts, along with a black belt and sporran, which is a traditional part of the Pipe Band’s uniform.
Wooster Community Members Name Mascot
Frequently Asked Questions
Mascot
Are we still the Fighting Scots?
Yes! We are the Fighting Scots. Rather than representing the Fighting Scots with the Scottish Highlander, we will now use a Scottish Terrier, otherwise known as a Scottie dog.
What was wrong with the old mascot?
As we examine Wooster’s history, the Scottie dog was the first mascot at Wooster and has never really gone away even with the introduction of the Scottish Highlander fighter in the late 60s, early 70s. Up through today, the Scottie is widely accepted as one of Wooster’s mascots.
More importantly, however, no human mascot can represent all the diverse identities of our campus community and many human mascots raise serious concerns about racism, xenophobia, and are otherwise problematic. The introduction in recent years of the Washington Commanders and Cleveland Guardians are two examples of professional sports teams who recognized the harm caused by human mascots. There are many more examples at the collegiate level, including Kenyon College, who changed from Lords and Ladies to Owls, and Capital University, who changed from Crusaders to Comets.
A symbol of European imperial expansion, the Scottish Highlander fighter no longer represents the current and future Wooster.
Results from a survey of students showed a majority of student respondents did not relate to the Scottish Highlander mascot. The reasons they provided included: “he looks white,” “he looks like a man,” “doesn’t represent the values of the college,” “needs to be more inclusive,” “represents violence,” “represents colonialism,” and “needs to be more inclusive.”
According to student respondents, Wooster Fighting Scots must represent community, be determined, hardworking, strong, kind, smart, resilient, intelligent, passionate, perseverant, and inclusive.
What are the plans to introduce the new mascot logo throughout campus?
The new Scottie dog logo made its debut on campus on Thursday, March 30, 2023, during a pep rally in Timken Gymnasium. This summer it will be added to wind screens on our new tennis courts on Wayne Avenue and to the gymnasiums. We will begin to form a planning committee soon who will identify opportunities to introduce the new Scottie dog logo throughout Scot Center. Please visit Mayer Bookstore online or in the lower level of Lowry Center to grab some Scottie dog merchandise.
What will the College do with the old Scottish Highlander installations?
The College will be working throughout the next year to replace old logos with the new logo. In so doing, we will make every effort to save historical pieces for the archives.
What was the process that resulted in the new mascot?
Numerous informal discussions have been held over the years about the mascot. We even held a First-Year Seminar class in Fall 2019 on the Fighting Scots as a historical concept and asked students to think critically about what it meant to have the Highlander with shield and sword as our mascot.
In 2021, we introduced new institutional and athletic logos that removed the Highlander from the W and replaced it with a custom W that was designed to pull from the deconstructed pattern of the MacLeod plaid. A special working group of staff in athletics and marketing was meeting to consider options for moving beyond the Highlander that was introduced to campus in the spring of 1973. The group’s work centered on addressing concerns raised by students and others about the lack of inclusivity of the Highlander, while creating a mascot that stayed true to the Wooster brand and the College’s history.
Research was conducted to learn more about the history of mascots and nicknames at the College, and students were surveyed about their thoughts regarding the mascot and the qualities and characteristics that come to mind when they think of Wooster Fighting Scots.
Historically, we’ve had few mascots but many nicknames. As we paged through old athletic programs and the archives, a few things were abundantly clear: Our unwavering affinity for the black & gold, loud MacLeod plaid, and Scottish Terriers.
We came across a lot of Scottish terriers during our review—real-life dogs posing for yearbook photos and wearing MacLeod sweaters, larger than life dogs on Homecoming floats and on the lawns of residence halls, dog illustrations that were on the front pages of athletic programs in the early 80s (a decade after the introduction of the warrior mascot), and dog mascot costumes that are worn during home contests up through today. It wasn’t until 2013-14, that we see broader adoption of the Highlander in College branding and throughout the Scot Center.
Results from our survey showed a majority of student respondents did not relate to the Highlander mascot. The reasons they provided include: “he looks white,” “he looks like a man,” “doesn’t represent the values of the college,” “needs to be more inclusive,” “represents violence,” “represents colonialism,” and “needs to be more inclusive.”
According to student respondents, Wooster Fighting Scots must represent community, be determined, hardworking, strong, kind, smart, resilient, intelligent, passionate, perseverant, and inclusive.
In a world where opportunity is not distributed equally, creating a diverse, equitable, welcoming, and inclusive campus community must be a top priority. We are not able to achieve this priority without also examining the most visible symbols we use as a campus to reflect our values, character, and culture. This includes our school mascot.
However, it is only the prince who truly loves her who succeeds in the end. This message promotes the idea that true love is not simply superficial or based on appearance, but rather a connection that runs deep and can conquer any obstacles. Furthermore, the curse of Sleeping Beauty can be seen as a metaphor for the struggles faced by individuals in their own lives. It represents the moments when we feel stuck or trapped, unable to move forward. Just as Sleeping Beauty can only be awakened by true love's kiss, we too often need an external force to break us free from our own personal curses. The curse also highlights the theme of time. Sleeping Beauty is said to awaken only after one hundred years have passed. This emphasizes the importance of patience and the understanding that some things simply take time. In a fast-paced world, this serves as a reminder to have faith and allow things to unfold naturally. In conclusion, the curse of Sleeping Beauty is a captivating tale that holds various themes and messages. It serves as a cautionary tale against indifference, an example of the power of true love, and a reminder of the importance of patience and timing in our own lives. So, behold the curse of Sleeping Beauty, and let its story continue to enchant and inspire generations to come..
Reviews for "The Haunting Legacy of Sleeping Beauty's Curse"
1. John - 2 stars - I was really disappointed with "Behold the Curse of Sleeping Beauty". The plot was confusing and didn't make much sense. The characters were poorly developed, and I couldn't connect with any of them. The acting was mediocre at best, and the special effects were subpar. Overall, I found the movie to be a waste of time and would not recommend it to anyone.
2. Sarah - 1 star - I found "Behold the Curse of Sleeping Beauty" to be extremely boring and unoriginal. The story has been done countless times before, and this movie didn't bring anything new to the table. The dialogue was dull and uninteresting, and the pacing was painfully slow. I found myself unable to stay engaged and ended up dozing off halfway through. Save yourself the trouble and skip this one.
3. Mark - 2 stars - I had high hopes for "Behold the Curse of Sleeping Beauty", but it fell short of my expectations. The acting was lackluster, and the characters felt one-dimensional. The atmosphere and cinematography were the only redeeming qualities of the film. The plot started off promising but quickly became convoluted and confusing. Overall, I was left feeling unsatisfied and would not recommend this movie to others.
4. Emily - 3 stars - While "Behold the Curse of Sleeping Beauty" had its moments, it failed to fully captivate me. The pacing was inconsistent, with some scenes dragging on for too long and others feeling rushed. The plot had potential but was not executed well enough to hold my attention. The movie lacked a cohesive narrative and left many unanswered questions. I wouldn't say it was terrible, but it definitely left much to be desired.