Wednesday, 4p.m. — In response to the student body’s outcry for a change, President Kathy Murray and Dean of Students Kazi Joshua have issued a joint statement declaring that Whitman College’s mascot, The Blue Mountains, will change yet again to Shrek. The statement comes on the heels of rally featuring impassioned speeches delivered by a number of students who stayed for summer, the OCS and Noah Leavitt about breaking The Whitman Bubble. The students and faculty argued that though the change of mascot from the Pioneer to The Blues was a step in the right direction and a nearly imperceptible nod to the colonialism and lack of inclusion and representation on our campus, it did not go far enough. Shrek as Whitman’s mascot, they argued, not only sends important messages to the student body about self-love, emotional openness and burp acceptance, but would further open Whitman to the local community, as the mascot could serve as a gesture toward local onion culture. Seeing as this issue has many layers, the administration will be accepting feedback from students, faculty and community members for the coming weeks.