There are ten possible new nicknames for George Washington University, the university announced Wednesday. The contenders are:
- Ambassadors
- Blue Fog
- Catalysts
- Fireworks
- Independents
- Monumentals
- Revolutionaries
- Sentinels
- Squad
- Truth
GWU decided to shed its old moniker, the Colonials, last year after several years of debate. The old nickname, a university official said at the time, “no longer does the work that a moniker should—namely, unifying the campus behind our academic and athletic institutional aspirations.”
The university announced last month that “Hippos,” a name with some historical purchase at the university, would not be among the finalists. “Blue Fog” appears to be a reference to the school’s Foggy Bottom neighborhood. Some of the names on this list were leaked earlier this month by someone who claimed to have been part of a focus group.
The university plans a “Moniker Madness” campaign beginning Thursday, with opportunities to comment on the names online and at a basketball game on March 4. GWU will then winnow the list to several finalists.
Andrew Beaujon joined Washingtonian in late 2014. He was previously with the Poynter Institute, TBD.com, and Washington City Paper. He lives in Del Ray.
