Keggy the Keg

Keggy the Keg is an unofficial mascot of Dartmouth College, an Ivy League university in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. Keggy is an anthropomorphic beer keg, invented in 2003 by members of the college humor magazine the "Dartmouth Jack-O-Lantern", to fill the mascot void that followed the abolition of the Indian mascot in 1971. Due to its nature, the mascot was controversial on Dartmouth's campus, and it was reported on in a variety of national media. With time, however, it has become an "ingrained part of Dartmouth culture".cite news | last = Reid | first = Stuart | title = Greek issues and politics dominate seniors' first two years | work = The Dartmouth | date = 2006-06-10 | url = http://www.thedartmouth.com/article.php?aid=2006061001100 | accessdate = 2006-12-28 ]

Context and creation

After dropping the mascot of the Indian in 1971, Dartmouth had no official mascot. [cite news | last = Wallace-Wells | first = Benjamin | title = The Indian and the Rock | work = The Dartmouth Review | date = 1998-11-17 | url = http://www.dartreview.com/archives/1998/11/17/the_indian_and_the_rock.php | accessdate = 2006-12-28] Dartmouth continued to be known by its nickname of "The Big Green," but, citing the ambiguity, lack of dynamism, and intangibility of having no mascot, the Dartmouth Student Assembly proposed a student poll in spring 2003 to decide upon a new mascot. While the Moose came in first in this poll, [cite news | last = Spradling | first = Jessica | title = Moose tops mascot survey | work = The Dartmouth | date = 2003-05-23 | url = http://www.thedartmouth.com/article.php?aid=2003052301010&sauthor=&stext= | accessdate = 2006-12-28 ] many students remained dissatisfied with the choice, and the moose lost a final poll to "no mascot." Chris Plehal and Nic Duquette, students at the "Jack-O-Lantern" humor magazine, expressed interest in creating a mascot that "wasn't racist, biased or sexist, yet [was] entirely unacceptable."cite news | last = Orbuch | first = Steve | title = Jacko mascot 'Keggy' wins many Dartmouth fans | work = The Dartmouth | date = 2003-11-04 | url = http://www.thedartmouth.com/article.php?aid=2003110401060&sauthor=&stext= | accessdate = 2006-12-28 ] In an effort to force the administration to adopt a more interesting mascot, they created Keggy, an anthropomorphic keg that represents "the most obvious Dartmouth stereotype: the beer-swilling "Animal House" fraternity culture." [cite news | work = The Dartmouth | date = 2007-01-05 | title = Straight from the T
first = Kelsey | last = Blodget | url = http://www.thedartmouth.com/article.php?aid=2007010505010 | accessdate = 2007-01-25 ]

Reactions

Reaction to Keggy's introduction was mixed: the student body president personally endorsed Keggy in the mascot search,cite news | last = Garland | first = Kevin | title = Assembly drops search for mascot: SA will not endorse moose in report | work = The Dartmouth | date = 2003-11-05 | url = http://www.thedartmouth.com/article.php?aid=2003110501010 | accessdate = 2006-12-28 ] while the College newspaper "The Dartmouth" reported a mixed student reaction and published opposing opinions. [cite news | last = Labun | first = Lance | title = On 'Keggy' | work = The Dartmouth | date = 2003-11-10 | url = http://www.thedartmouth.com/article.php?aid=2003111002020 | accessdate = 2006-12-28 ] [cite news | last = Wolkoff | first = David | title = Lighten Up! | work = The Dartmouth | date = 2003-11-12 | url = http://www.thedartmouth.com/article.php?aid=2003111202030 | accessdate = 2006-12-28 ] [cite news | last = Tonelli | first = Alex | title = 'Some Beer Thing...' | work = The Dartmouth | date = 2003-11-25 | url = http://www.thedartmouth.com/article.php?aid=2003112502020 | accessdate = 2006-12-28 ] The paper also reported on "flak" over the mascot from College administrators, though the Dean of the College lauded the students' capacity to "come up with imaginative and creative ideas."

Keggy subsequently received media attention beyond the College at other Ivy League newspapers and on several national media outlets. [cite news | title = Around the Ivies | work = Yale Herald | date = 2003-11-07 | url = http://www.yaleherald.com/article.php?Article=2612 | accessdate = 2006-12-28 ] [cite news | last = Brauntuch | first = Steve | title = Steve Brauntuch: Is Keggy the greatest mascot ever? | work = The Daily Pennsylvanian | date = 2003-12-04 | url = http://www.dailypennsylvanian.com/media/storage/paper882/news/2003/12/04/Opinion/Steve.Brauntuch.Is.Keggy.The.Greatest.Mascot.Ever-2152825.shtml?norewrite200612140055&sourcedomain=www.dailypennsylvanian.com
accessdate = 2006-12-28 ] Michael Wilbon of ESPN's "Pardon the Interruption" called Keggy "some stupid beer thing," [cite web | title = Pardon the Interruption | work = Dartmouth Jack-O-Lantern | publisher = ESPN | url = http://media.dartmouth.edu/~jacko/keggy/Keggy_ESPN.wmv | format = Windows Media Video | accessdate = 2006-12-28 ] and "Playboy" magazine published a feature on Keggy as part of a "Mascots Talk Back" series. [cite news | last = Simigis | first = Antonia | title = Mascots Talk Back: Keggy | work = Playboy | url = http://www.playboy.com/on-campus/mascot/keggy/ | accessdate = 2006-12-28 ] A posting of a photo of Keggy on CollegeHumor was popular enough to receive status as a National Pick. [cite news | title = Dartmouth College's newest mascot... Keggy the Keg | work = CollegeHumor | date = 2003-11-05 | url = http://www.collegehumor.com/pictures/20843/ | accessdate = 2006-12-28 ] [cite web | url = http://www.collegehumor.com/faq | title = FAQ | work = CollegeHumor | accessdate = 2007-01-10 ]

Theft and subsequent attention

Shortly after Keggy's introduction in 2003, a group of students stole the Keggy costume from its home in the Sigma Nu fraternity library and sent threatening notes to Keggy's creators, including photographs of the mascot bound and gagged with one black eye. [cite news | last = Orbuch | first = Steve | title = Jacko receives threatening email | work = The Dartmouth | date = 2003-12-05 | url = http://www.thedartmouth.com/article.php?aid=200312050101 | accessdate = 2006-12-28 ] Some thought this to be a publicity stunt by the creators, but the mascot had truly been stolen. Keggy was eventually returned with minor damage to the costume. [cite news | last = Buck | first = Jean | title = Still on t
work = The Dartmouth | date = 2003-12-10 | url = http://www.thedartmouth.com/article.php?aid=2003121001010 | accessdate = 2006-12-28 ]

Keggy continued to make occasional appearances at Dartmouth sporting events, and became an "ingrained part of Dartmouth culture": at Dartmouth's 2005 Winter Carnival celebration, students named the snow sculpture of a large ship "Captain Keggy's Carnival Cruiser." [cite news | last = Kelley | first = Kristen | title = Pirate ship sculpture marks revival in tradition of scope, grandeur | work = The Dartmouth | date = 2005-02-11 | url = http://www.thedartmouth.com/article.php?aid=2005021101110 | accessdate = 2006-12-28 ] In early 2006, College officials denied Keggy entrance to a sold-out hockey game (officials cited fire code concerns with the capacity crowd), prompting a "Jack-O-Lantern"-penned editorial in "The Dartmouth" condemning the incident; [cite news | last = Entress | first = Cole | title = Consider the Plight of Keggy | work = The Dartmouth | date = 2006-02-22 | url = http://www.thedartmouth.com/article.php?aid=2006022202030 | accessdate = 2006-12-28 ] the "Jack-O-Lantern" website alleged "anti-keg racism." [cite web | url = http://www.dartmouth.edu/~jacko/keggy/blog.htm#2006-02-11 | title = Keggy Blog | accessdate = 2006-12-28 | date = 2006-02-11 | publisher = Dartmouth Jack-O-Lantern ] A similar incident occurred in October 2006 when Keggy was not permitted on the field at halftime of the Homecoming football game, again resulting in further complaints in "The Dartmouth" and on the "Jack-O-Lantern" website. [cite news | last = Schlossberg | first = Dane | title = Weekend proceeds with fifteen arrests | work = The Dartmouth | date = 2006-10-16 | url = http://www.thedartmouth.com/article.php?aid=2006101601010 | quote = In a BlitzMail message to The Dartmouth, the staff of Jack-O-Lantern claimed that Keggy 'was treated rudely and unfairly, simply because of his status as an anthropomorphic keg.' | accessdate = 2006-12-28 ] [cite web | url = http://www.dartmouth.edu/~jacko/keggy/blog.htm#2006-10-14 | title = Keggy Blog | accessdate = 2006-12-28 | date = 2006-10-13 | publisher = Dartmouth Jack-O-Lantern ]

References

External links

* [http://www.dartmouth.edu/~jacko/keggy/index.htm Keggy the Keg] , at the Dartmouth Jack-O-Lantern Humor Society