“What it really means to be a Big Red Buzzard“

By Melanie E. Stolp ’13

It was only four years ago that most of us were attending graduation picnics and gatherings intended to celebrate our recent high school diploma marking our academic accomplishments up to that point in our lives. This was a time of celebration, thankfulness, and overall pride as we reached our first big milestone as young adults. We shared with our friends and loved ones our plans for what followed high school, but at that point the future was still vast and unknown. All we knew was that we would all be attending Denison University, a small liberal arts college atop a big hill in central Ohio. I was eager to tell everybody about Denison, pulling from my long list of fun facts about famous alumni, interesting majors and popular activities unique to Denison. But there was just one question that I didn’t feel as comfortable answering…”so, what’s the Denison mascot?”. Officially, we are the Big Red, a combination of adjectives that are commonly confused with a type of chewing gum or an oversized, unnaturally colored cartoon dog. Unofficially we are the buzzards…arguably one of the oddest birds native to the United States.

While many of my peers were attending schools represented by majestic wildcats or the feisty blue devil, I found a common response of laughter mixed with confusion when explaining that the school I was attending is represented by the buzzard, a bird known for eating road kill and urinating on itself to deter predators. Of all bird options for a mascot, how was the Buzzard chosen over a majestic eagle, cardinal or even a phoenix? For those of us that entered this graduating class in 2009, we can recall the student survey that was distributed, proposing to change our “unofficial mascot”. Yet, despite the student efforts supporting the idea of being the “Denison Venison” or the “Denisaurs” the buzzard once again prevailed and remained our unofficial mascot. However, in spite of its comical reputation, the buzzard happens to be vitally important to the global ecosystem known for contributing to the decomposition cycle and cleaning the environment by preventing the spread of diseases. Buzzards play a unique role in the overall wellbeing of ecosystems and are therefore not only found in the dead tree behind Swasey Chapel, but all over the world.

So with that in mind, as we take this time today to reflect on what it really means to be a “buzzard,” sitting here anxiously awaiting the chance to toss our tassels to the other side, we are once again faced with the overwhelming yet exciting “unknown” that our future holds. We are about to receive diplomas marking our academic achievements here at Denison, but what does this simple piece of paper actually symbolize? For one it marks all of the hard work and perseverance that each one of us has given to our education over the years. But, for us, receiving our diploma today is symbolic of something more than just the toil and grind of 4 years of school; it represents our finally complete liberal arts education, which has done more than just prepare us for a certain profession. Each of us has taken an array of classes spanning across many disciplines to fulfill our liberal arts requirements. However, the very act of simply taking these classes is not what sets our degree apart from others. Each degree that will be distributed today is unique and specific to the student receiving it, as it represents an individual’s intellectual and personal path through Denison.

We have not been taught simply to manage taking a wide range of different classes, but by doing so we have become dynamic intellectuals that have learned to think outside of the box not afraid of crossing departmental boundaries. While each of us has found our own path to receiving this degree, we all share a similar understanding and knowledge of how to think critically, adapt to new situations given the present circumstances, and to strive to understand other cultures and environments that are different from our own. These skills, especially valuable in today’s rapidly globalizing world, have prepared us to become leaders. We are not only equipped to begin our specific roles in the workplace, whatever they may be, but also to begin our vitally important role of those who contribute to the overall well-being of society, just as the buzzard does for the ecosystem. Believe it or not, buzzards also are known for easily adapting to new environments as they can live in a variety of different ecosystems ranging from the tropics to the foothills. In each different ecosystem the buzzard serves as an imperative species as it prevents the spread of diseases among other organisms. As we prepare to leave Denison and enter a world that is unknown, we must keep in mind that each of us is well equipped and prepared to play a valuable role on this earth knowing that we have the skills to adapt, problem solve, and most importantly think critically. These skills are worth far more than textbooks can offer and will aid each of us in pursuing the paths that we desire knowing that we all can make a difference in this world, wherever that may be.

Something different brought each one of us here to the hill four years ago, now as we leave, we not only share a great education but also the skills to become vitally important members of a larger society in which each of us has the potential to do great things. While at first they may not appear the most majestic mascot, buzzards are in fact a key species that play an essential role in the well being of the global ecosystem, a role that cannot be replaced. Although some of you still may prefer not to be compared to a decomposer, I think it is time that we embraced the buzzard knowing that we are about to become unique and irreplaceable members of society because each of us has the qualities we have gained from our time at Denison that emphasize creativity and critical thinking. So, to spare you all from a cheesy quote about spreading your wings and going out to do great things in the world, just remember that greatness can be found anywhere, whether on a hill in Ohio, or even in a weird looking bird, but it is up to each one of us to utilize the skills that we have to make this world a better place, taking with us the bond that we share from being a Denison Big Red buzzard.