Community Corner

eBay Tuesday: Mitchell College Student Handbook

Nearly 50-year-old guidebook instructs students on college cheers and other information on the New London school

This column has already mentioned how got a little bit of a rocky start after it was founded in 1938 thanks to a , but by the time this handbook came out for the incoming students in 1964 it was a well-established part of the community. It should be obvious, however, that something was due to change between then and now.

The handbook for the 1964-1965 school year is offered by seller sixandersons of Binghamton, N.Y. It is in near-mint condition and weighs in at 84 pages. These include photos, college cheers, and a place to record any classes you wind up cutting.

Among the students who may have perused this edition of the student handbook was , destined to become a local athletic legend. Lee, of Windsor Locks, came to Mitchell in 1964 and helped bring the college's soccer team to victory in a national championship.

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As you can see, Lee and other Mitchell College athletes were once known as the Pequots. The mascot stayed around until 2008, when the school opted to change it based on a 2006 decision by the National Collegiate Athletic Association to oppose the use of "racial/ethnic/national origin references" in their programs. In order to meet full compliance to become a Division III school, Mitchell had to drop the Pequot for something else.

According to a the winter 2009 issue of Mitchell Today, the school chose the current mascot of the Mariner after a committee of students, faculty, and coaches came up with a name they felt represented the school's heritage and location well.

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“Changing a college athletic identity is a significant transition, not only for our athletic program, but also for our students and alumni who have fond memories of their college days,” said Mitchell College Athletic Director Mo White at the time. “We believe the new images will represent Mitchell College well. We expect the image to evolve over time, and believe we have an identity and mascot we can be proud to have associated with Mitchell athletics.”

The asking price for the handbook is $9 to start the bidding. The auction ends at about 10:08 p.m. on Wednesday.

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