I have a confession to make — I am an apostate. I don’t believe in having a bear as Cornell’s mascot. Sorry my dear Touchdown, it is time to bid thee adieu. I know it sounds rather odd and downright un-Cornellian, especially coming from a confirmed traditionalist like me, but let me explain.

Surprisingly, Cornell has no official school mascot. Indeed, our athletic teams go by the name Big Red, and not The Bear or variants thereof. It was Romeyn Berry 1904, law 1906, a legendary Cornellian, who first coined the phrase, “the big, red team” when he penned the words to Cornell’s stirring football song back in 1905. Berry, who served as Cornell’s athletic director, first made his mark as a multi-talented undergrad: editor of the Cornell Widow, a pillar of the Glee Club and leader in several other student organizations.

Berry was an original, a dyed in red Cornellian — you won’t find a trace of bear in his song. In fact, just about the time the moniker “Big Red” was being embraced by Cornellians, Brown University was using a bear called Helen as its very own mascot. By the 1920s, Helen had been supplanted by Bruno (just what one would expect from those sexist Brownies!). The simple truth is that Brown bagged the bear first.

It was only in 1915 that the woodland creature who now adorns so much Cornell paraphernalia first came trundling along: a live bear was brought to East Hill as our mascot. In the ensuing years, a series of bears, each christened Touchdown, lived and died for Cornell. In 1939, however, a decision was made to abandon live bears. Instead, an enthusiastic undergrad, garbed in a slightly silly looking teddy bear outfit, masqueraded as Touchdown. Cornellians are a spirited lot, and have gone along with this charade for far too long.

Don’t get me wrong — I’ve got nothing against bears. It’s just that having a bear as a mascot for Cornell lacks authenticity and any semblance of creativity. We need and deserve a mascot that reflects and resonates what is uniquely Cornell.

One of Cornell’s most hallowed and cherished traditions is Dragon Day. Its origins trace back to 1901, when a group of architecture students led by that renowned prankster, Willard Straight, paraded a laboriously constructed model of a dragon around campus before ceremoniously setting the fire-breathing monster ablaze in the Arts Quad.

The whole affair was a parody of St. Patrick’s efforts to drive away the evil serpents that bedeviled the Emerald Isle. It is one of my favorite events at Cornell. Dragon Day is fun, uplifting and symbolic. It binds us together as no other event does, and consecrates our shared commitment to Cornell.

So, why not have a dragon as Cornell’s mascot? A fire-breathing monster would make the Princeton tiger meow like a kitten, the Columbia lion croak like a frog and the Penn Quaker run for the nearest oatmeal box. A big red dragon for a big red team — now that would be a mascot Romeyn Berry surely would have embraced.

Imagine the possibilities of combining Dragon Day with a yearly reincarnation of the Big Red Dragon. Each year, after parading their model of a dragon, Cornell’s aspiring architects could circle around a bonfire to celebrate the birth, or more accurately, rebirth of Cornell’s new mascot. A new Big Red Dragon would be welcomed each year. At games, on the sidelines, the Big Red Dragon would require the coordinated efforts of a dedicated team of undergraduates. The sight would lift our spirits and inspire our team — and completely demoralize our opponents, who would slither away in ignominious defeat.

As I walk around campus, I have sense that a pall of anxiety and fear has descended on us, no doubt as a consequence of the economic and financial crisis that is gripping the nation. Graduating seniors are wondering what is in store for them. Grim faced administrators are wondering how to cope with budgetary shortfalls. This bear market is the last straw. We need a dragon by our side. And, perhaps, we need to try to take ourselves less seriously.

Cornell deserves a new mascot that is truly unique and springs from deep rooted traditions. I am hoping that my fellow Cornellians will take up this worthy challenge. Oh, by the way, I have a suggested name for the Big Red Dragon: Willard. Any takers?