University of San Francisco retires Don Francisco mascot for a wolf
The gist
The University of San Francisco will replace its Don Francisco mascot with a wolf in spring 2027.
The Jesuit school keeps the Dons name, ending a colonial-era costume.
How it unfolded
- 1932The Don Francisco tradition associated with USF athletics began.
- 2022USF's student senate voted to retire Don Francisco, with a resolution saying the Don symbolizes the "history of colonization on the indigenous Ohlone land occupied by the university."
- 2022A student petition supporting the change collected more than 400 signatures, urging replacement by the 2024-25 academic year.
Key terms
- Jesuit
- A member of the Society of Jesus, a Catholic religious order of men founded in 1540 and active in education and missionary work.
- Ohlone
- A Native American people of the Northern California coast, formerly called Costanoans.
- colonization
- The act or process of sending people to live in and govern another country.
Source: Wikipedia