Words by Jack Paradis PZ ’26, Graphic by Alex Birland PZ ’29

On August 1, Cecil the Sagehen was brutally murdered. The lively, smoldering Cecil was once the primary logo of Pomona-Pitzer Athletics … but no longer.

In his place, an orange “P” seemingly penetrating a blue “P” will now be representing our schools — shockingly confirming that Pomona is the bottom in our relationship. This sudden development has us all wondering: who would commit such a crime? And perhaps more importantly, why? 

To uncover the truth behind this mystery, we have to go back to the beginning. 

At the turn of the 20th century, Pomona’s athletic teams went by many nicknames, one of which was the “huns,” a reference to warrior nomads. Although the exact origin of the name “Sagehens” is unclear, one legend claims that in 1913, a writer for TSL mistakenly typed ‘hens’ instead of ‘huns.’ The name stuck, accidentally rebranding the school’s entire identity. 

Other theories have claimed that it was an intentional change, considering that “huns” became a pejorative term for the Germans during World War I. Whatever the case may be, the Sagehen has been the mascot of Pomona, then Pomona-Claremont, and now Pomona-Pitzer, since 1918. 

Our nameless mascot was given life when Cecil the Sagehen was officially born in 1946, first referenced in Metate, Pomona’s yearbook. Cecil only manifested in drawings and newspapers early on, but this queen couldn’t be bound by simple 2D imagery for long. Cecil first appeared in the flesh as a paper-mache figure on a Homecoming Day float — yes, we apparently used to have those — and soon after became a lively mascot that fiercely waddled along the sidelines of major sporting events. 

Cecil even showed up to Pomona-Pitzer President Peter Stanley’s inauguration in 1991 in drag, under the name Cecilia, chirping and wooing the new president — true icon behavior. To this day, we are still the only sports team in the world to have a Sagehen as our logo, or at least, we were.

The storied history of Cecil the Sagehen shines light on how devastating this case is. Thousands of Cecil lovers fell to their knees when @sagehenathletics announced the death of Cecil, with many voicing their despair online: “Fly high Cecil 😢🕊️🕊️you will be missed,” “FaZe clan ahh logo,” and that one gif of Britney Spears giving a disgusted side eye. 

The pushback from students inspires many questions about this change: Why would Pomona-Pitzer spend so much money on something as silly as this? Is this our way of competing with CMC’s new athletic facility? Are we trying to convince people that Division III sports are real? Most pressingly, who did Pomona-Pitzer pay to commit this tragic assassination?

The simple design, straight lines, and basic color scheme led us down the trail of Joe Bosack & Co, a brand consultant known for turning the unique identities of college sports teams into logos you’d expect to see walking around Silicon Valley. We looked into their history and what we found left us stunned: a trail of mascots slain at the hands of corporate minimalism. Our perpetrator is a renowned serial murderer of the whimsy of DIII mascots–mascots which once had life in their eyes and a secret love for academics in their heart. 

This trend of simplifying logos is not limited to just DIII mascots. It’s a worldwide phenomena that I’m sure most are familiar with. In short, our favorite retro logos are turning into ugly corporate slop. Brand consultants believe that consumers are more comfortable with visuals that don’t require much brain power to process–a concept called cognitive fluency.

Companies are sold the idea that when their logo is simple and easy to recognize, it has a better chance of sticking in the mind of consumers and standing out in the vast sea of logos. But if everyone is converting their logos into minimalist crap, none of them will stick out. 

Brand consultants are monopolizing the logo industry, turning unique logos into the same old shtick. Logos are now designed to be recognized in even the smallest forms, like the corner of our phones. They’re becoming flat, monochromatic, and avoidant of complex textures. 

Companies are investing millions of dollars to make these changes to their logos. Just look at Burger King, Pay Pal, or Twitter. Companies are selling their unique brand identities to make their logos as simple as possible so consumers will recognize it and feel inclined to purchase their product. 

So I have to ask, why is a DIII sports team doing the same thing? Who are we trying to sell our product to? Even if our logo is now somewhat more recognizable, was tarnishing our school’s spirit worth it to appeal to corporate America? This mysterious case brings up many questions, but as we enter a new era of branding, let us never forget the goofy looking mascot we all came to love.