Mercy adopts ‘Bears’ mascot

Mercy’s “Crusaders” mascot has long been synonymous with the 1950s television show, “Crusader Rabbit,” and even had a rabbit mascot to this effect beginning in the late 1950s, Mercy Head of School Natalie Cirigliano Brosnan said. But Mercy — the campus that opened its doors at Kohl Mansion in 1931 — has been downplaying the “Crusaders” mascot for years and has not depicted it on any of the school’s athletic uniforms in at least the span of time the current senior class has been on campus.

“We didn’t have a mascot for a little while and then the reveal was a couple days ago,” Mercy senior Nini Pearl said, “and I’m just excited to have a mascot. Because we’re seniors now, so we haven’t had one the past three years that we’ve been here.”

The “Crusaders” nickname has been a source of controversy in recent decades, and Mercy-Burlingame is not the first institution to pivot off the nickname.

In the Aug. 12, 2021, edition of “Catholic Answers Magazine,” in an article titled “Sports Teams Should Keep Their Crusaders,” writer Steve Weidenkopf referenced the evangelical Christian school Wheaton College changing its mascot from the “Crusaders” to the “Thunder” in the year 2000. In 2021, Valparaiso University in Indiana followed suit, changing its mascot from the “Crusaders” to the “Beacons.”

In the article, Weidenkopf wrote: “The movement to change perceived offensive and derogatory mascots and nicknames includes campaigns targeted at the Christian past — most specifically, the use of the name Crusader. Under the influence of political correctness and a desire to be ‘tolerant’ and ‘inclusive,’ some colleges and universities are changing their Crusader mascots so as not to offend.”

A press release from Mercy-Burlingame uses similar language in its reasons for changing the mascot.

“Formerly known as the Crusader Rabbits, the school has introduced a new mascot, the Bears, reflecting a harmonious blend of tradition and inclusivity,” the press release reads.

According to Niki Nielsen, Mercy director of mission advancement and marketing, the mascot change was brought before the Mercy High School Burlingame Board of Directors during the 2022-23 school year by a group of students, the spokesperson for which was current senior Margo Robinson.

Robinson requested a change in mascots, but did not recommend a new mascot name, Nielsen said.

“Our students haven’t resonated with the Crusader Rabbit and they haven’t claimed a mascot for quite some time,” Nielsen said. “And they came to us … at the beginning of last school year and did a whole presentation to our Board or Directors asking if they can change our mascot.”

Mercy approved the request and took recommendations for new mascot names from students. Students then ranked their favorites by choosing a top five, and from those, two were chosen to be voted upon by students and alumnae. The two finalists were the “Lions” and the “Bears.” Over 800 votes were cast, with the winner being revealed at the Mercy back-to-school rally held Thursday, Aug. 17.

“We had our Cheer and Dance perform, and then at the end they played this very dramatic music, and had a sheet up, and then they dropped the sheet, and it was the Bears,” Mercy senior Josie Jung said. “Then they started throwing out Bear headbands.”

With the “Bears” mascot being revealed after the start of the school year Aug. 14, new logos including the mascot have not been reproduced en masse or included on school athletics uniforms. For years, Mercy has used a capital “M” as its primary logo.

“We’re going to slowly incorporate the new logo with the Bear on jerseys,” Mercy athletic director Kelly Hickey said.

Nielsen wore Mercy’s new Bears costume at the reveal, becoming the first person in Mercy history to don the outfit — one she said will become commonplace at school sporting events — as to help keep secret the mascot name until the Aug. 17 rally.

“I think they were pretty excited to finally have something,” Nielsen said. “We tried to build some momentum and some hype around it, and I think it went well. … It’s a long time coming but, yeah, we’re really excited.”

Mercy now has the second animal mascot in the Catholic high school tri-campus community of Mercy-Burlingame, Notre Dame-Belmont and Serra. Notre Dame-Belmont’s mascot is the “Tigers.”

When asked if Serra could have the “Lions” mascot if the San Mateo school ever decides to change its nickname, one Mercy student said it’s all theirs, and delighted at the notion of the gamut of “Wizard of Oz”-inspired nicknames.

“If they want it, yeah,” Pearl said.