They finally talked to me!
After three years of reaching out to the Office of Marketing and Communications, Vice President of Marketing and Communication Jennifer Stephens acknowledged my proposal, appreciated my enthusiasm for my alma mater, and said that university is currently NOT pursuing a spirit leader. BUT when they do, "public input and feedback will be an important part of those discussions."
PRO:
1. Our university is notoriously mum's the word when it comes to anything behind the scenes, especially in regards to a mascot. I have no doubt, the support a lot of y'all have shown for Al is the reason a department head finally responded to me. After years of this UL nobody asking to be heard, I'm filled with so much pride knowing the reason anything was said at all was because the Ragin Cajun fanbase heading in the same direction is a powerful thing! Thank you to all of you!
CON:
1. Jennifer's response doesn't solve any of the reasons why we all want a mascot. It's actually more worrying. Assuming most of you saw the financial report, engagement and ticket sales are down, and we're bleeding money. A spirit leader isn't going to make all those problems go away, but to most of us, it's a step in the right direction. A new spirit leader has been a prominent plea from the fanbase for a few years now, and Jennifer just said that's not what the administration is focused on right now. However,...
PRO:
2. The ball is finally in the court of the fans! I have always said that mascot creation should always involve the people who fill the stands. My biggest issue with some of the past characters is, you guys weren't in those talks. Now, you are in a position to be at the center of them! IF there was a behind closed doors decision being made on a new spirit leader, I think the support you guys have been showing for Albineaux, online and off, made them reconsider. I consider this a big victory for the fans.
CON:
2. The work is not done. We may even need to be louder if we want to expedite the spirit leader talks within Martin Hall. If any of you truly believe, like I do, that a spirit leader would help our university start to chip away at that deficit, we need more people to let them know this is a priority to us.
Listen, I'm not going anywhere. Albineaux isn't going anywhere. He truly is yours now. The path forward to writing another page in UL's history is as clear as it has ever been. We just need people to work together.
I know the kind of success Al has with younger demographics. He's an easy sell to them. But I believe the best way to proceed is to start convincing more of the USL alums. Some people have called them "the golden generation" for our university. I believe that statement! They were at the forefront of pioneering a lot of change for our institution (name changes, mascot changes, multiple spirit leaders). So much of that has been for the better! Now is their opportunity to put their final stamp on their legacy of progress from USL Bulldogs to The University of Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns. And they need to know that. Nostalgia is valued and powerful, but we can't move forward as a fanbase if a good bit of them are still stuck on a mascot they themselves said didn't represent our culture.
All that to say, to the Albineaux supporters, start talking to other fans about YOUR mascot. Tell them they can finally be a part of history, or make history again, when the time comes. And we want that time to come soon! The Athletic Department has pointed us towards the Office of Marketing and Communications to get a mascot. Their email is communications@louisiana.edu. Our voices can be heard. I'm Albineaux's creator but it y'all that will make him legend.
It's a blessing and privilege to be on this journey with the greatest fans in the world. Geaux Cajuns!