On March 12, 2025, Smith College released an announcement that they are committed to changing the school mascot from the Pioneers, which have been Smith’s mascot since 1986, to a moniker that better represents the values and interests of the Smith community by the end of the academic year. They sent out a survey where students can submit up to three nominations for the new mascot for a period of two weeks. No current or former mascots can be nominated.
This decision is a result of the organizing work of a group of students on Smith’s Crew team: Caroline Durr ’24, Sofia Trotta (graduate student), Willa Goldman ’23 and Katherine Graham ’23. In Feb. 2023, they approached Athletic Director Kristin Hughes to share their concerns about the history and colonialist associations with the term “pioneer” and what implications that mascot has on Smith’s community. The conversation led the group to conduct an informal survey to gauge student-athletes’ feelings on the topic.
This initial survey collected responses solely from Smith athletes with 196 total participants. 77.3% of respondents said Smith should choose a new mascot and an overwhelming 81.8% of respondents expressed that they did not identify with the current Smith mascot of the Pioneers, supporting the group’s claim that the student body is ready for change.
In response to these results, the group organized a panel in April 2023 entitled Mascots and Indigenous Visibility in Sport and Language. The panel gave space for student-athletes and faculty to learn about the history of the Connecticut River Valley (Pioneer Valley), the significance of mascot imagery and a space to discuss potential steps Smith Athletics could take to be more representative of all students’ identities.
In March 2024, the group organized a campus-wide panel under the same title. This panel more directly addressed the intent as opposed to the impact of having the Pioneers as a mascot. One of the panelists, Karly Toledo ’21, shared her experience as an Indigenous student-athlete at Smith and explained her belief that having an inclusive mascot would help students with marginalized identities, like her, feel more welcome at Smith.
These panels and surveys solidified the group’s concern about the Pioneers not adequately representing the identities and histories of Smith’s population, creating a need for action. The group created the Moniker Committee, which has been meeting with the Dean of the College and the Head of Alumni Relations to come up with a campus-wide solution. The group met for the first time on Feb. 24, 2025. Piper Corey ’25 and Sofia Trotta ’25, both athletes themselves, serve as the student representatives.
Trotta, one of the students who originally proposed the change, reflected on how meaningful this experience has been for her. “Serving on this committee and working to initiate and advance the mascot process after two years of work is such a privilege,” she said. “I’m proud to have played a role in shaping this change and ensuring it reflects Smith’s history, the culture of the Pioneer Valley and the realities of Indigenous erasure. I’m especially excited to see Smith adopt a mascot that can unite the entire campus — one that reflects our values and brings together students, athletes, alums and the broader community.”
The committee wants to implement the new mascot as quickly as possible, while ensuring the process is still student-driven. While the campus-wide survey is only open for two weeks, it gives students an opportunity to share their suggestions before the final rounds of deliberations. After the survey closes, the committee will meet, narrow down the nominations and issue their official recommendation to the Board of Trustees by April. In early May, the Board of Trustees will meet for the last round of deliberation and administer their approval of the new image.
Over the summer, the college will create the new logo and branding mock-ups. The committee decided Smith’s colors will remain blue and gold regardless of the results of this process. By the start of the next academic year, the new mascot will be fully implemented. The committee shared that President Sarah Willie-LeBreton is prepared to devote significant funding to the Athletic Department to ensure they have the resources for the rebrand.
The committee shared that they want this process to engage with as many members of the Smith community as possible, including alums, faculty and all students. They are working with student organizations like the Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and the Student Government Association (SGA) to promote the survey and reach a broader audience.
The Moniker Committee stated, “Smith tradition is to be responsive to student needs.” Prior surveys indicated a desire for a change and the college intends to respond accordingly. “It’s an exciting moment to unify our campus,” said Trotta.
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