On Tuesday, April 30, Mt. SAC Associated Student Senate passed a unanimous resolution to remove the “Mountie” moniker.

This decision is building upon the board of trustees’ prior decision to remove the “Joe Mountie” mascot, while retaining the controversial moniker.

The resolution was brought to the senate by student trustee César Alvarado, AS President Dani Silva, Senate Chair Mariah Moreno and Cross-Cultural Senator Logan Wells.

It calls for the removal of the “Mountie” moniker from Mt. SAC within a five-year period while also urging the board of trustees to pay greater attention to the student voice whilst choosing the school’s next mascot and moniker.

“The main purpose of the resolution is to ask for a sustainable method of removal, so we understand the different departments and their hesitance to remove it,” Moreno said, “We believe that the total removal of the ‘Mountie’ moniker needs to be done across campus whether it be in marketing or even in front of our library how there’s a memorial for ‘Joe Mountie’ out in front of it.”

With consideration given to the potential cost and marketing implications Senator Logan Wells also gave his perspective on the board’s previous decision to retain the moniker, as well as the scope and potential impact of the new resolution.

“The most important thing to me is the school acknowledges their part in this and works to rectify that,” Wells said. “That commitment alone would speak volumes to what the overall impact of the resolution can be.”

“I think working with the school to help acknowledge their mistake is the best way forward instead of quickly trying to shame them into admitting their own faults, since we all know how difficult that can be,” he added.

Since the initial decision by the board of trustees last fall to remove the “Joe Mountie” mascot a task force was formed to take input from students, faculty and alumni to facilitate the creation of a new mascot.

While the process is still ongoing, some students, such as Alvarado, feel that student input hasn’t been given enough consideration – particularly regarding the decision to adopt the bear as the new mascot instead of the mountain lion, which was the top choice in previous student surveys.

When asked what the immediate effect of the resolution would be, Alvarado explained that no real action would be taken until the resolution is presented to and subsequently voted on by the board of trustees.

“It’s basically kind of like a recommendation, a very stern recommendation,” Alvarado said.

The resolution will be presented to the board of trustees Wednesday, May 8 during their regularly scheduled meeting, however a definitive vote is likely going to be scheduled for a later meeting.