NCAA - Stonehill College

Stonehill College Changes Athletic Nickname

Skyhawks replace the Chieftains

By Paul Harber

Skyhawks replace the Chieftains Goodbye, Chieftains. Hello, Skyhawks, the new nickname for Stonehill College's athletic teams beginning next fall.

The Easton college two months ago decided to ''retire" the nickname Chieftains, and several names were submitted for consideration.

Old-timers might realize that Skyhawks has a historical significance. Before there was a Stonehill College, an old airfield was situated on the site of today's campus. The airfield -- property of Frederic Lothrop Ames Jr., the great-great grandson of 19th-century industrialist Oliver Ames -- had two runways, and remnants of it can be seen near Stonehill's athletic fields.

A reason for the name change has to do with sensitivity to Native Americans. The National Collegiate Athletic Association has urged member institutions to stop using Indian nicknames and logos. Stonehill, in recent years, halted the use of a Chieftain mascot at athletic events, and has stopped using the term ''Chieftain" on any logos, athletic uniforms, or merchandise.

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