Everyone loves college mascots. Who can forget the iconic Florida Gator mascot Albert (and his wife Alberta), or the Butler University Bulldog, Blue? Mascots aren't just students in heavy costumes being sweaty at a football, basketball, or hockey game for hours at a time, they're cultural icons and representations of the athletic pride of their respective universities.

But for all the mascots that have gone right, some have gone terribly, terribly wrong. Googling a list of "scariest college mascots" yields interesting results, from the Syracuse Orange to the Purdue Boilermakers. Fortunately, some are not beyond salvation. One of these is the Providence College mascot.

The Providence Friars are represented by their Friar mascot, Friar Dom. As a Dominican school they fly their Friar flags high with pride, even if the mascot has been consistently ranked as one of the scariest mascots in all of college sports. However, much like the Skywalkers, there is another that can provide hope to the Friars - the Friar Dalmatian, Friar Boy.

Friar Boy is no stranger to Providence College, and in fact his lineage can be traced back all the way to 1935 where he was first introduced during a Providence College football game against Niagara. Throughout the history of Friar athletics the dalmatian has come and gone, with the most recent incarnation coming from 1993 to 2001, known as Friar Boy V. During this time a mascot outfit of Friar Boy was made, and the lucky mascot wearer would skate around hockey games and shoot baskets during basketball games. Since 2001, however, there has been no dalmatian mascot.

But it's time to make a change. Don't get rid of Friar Dom, but instead to bring about a new Friar Boy to the rich history of Providence athletics. We're petitioning to have Providence College introduce Friar Boy VI, a new live mascot dalmatian for a new era in Providence athletics. With national championships in hockey and cross country, and a resurgence of several athletic programs, an introduction of a mascot like this wouldn't just be entertaining, it would be iconic. 

Bring back the dalmatian with Friar Boy VI!