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When I first saw the word I understood it just about as well as I could pronounce it.
Jyreene....guyreene...greeny...?
How was that again?
Gyrene.
What in the world is a Gyrene anyway? Surely it couldn’t actually be the new mascot for Ave Maria University. With hundreds of millions invested in this 5,000-acre town and Catholic university, Gyrene just doesn’t fit.
It sounds more like something someone would be afflicted with, rather than something they would root for. But what is it really?
A few clicks here and there and my own personal mystery was solved.
Gyrene is a reference to Marines, although initially a derogatory reference from members of the Navy, it was eventually embraced by the Corps, of which Tom Monaghan was a proud member. Monaghan is the university’s founder and chancellor; having made his fortunes as brains behind Domino’s Pizza.
Which reminds me, Tom, I’m still owed two free pies from back in ’86 when you were four minutes late. Remember, 30 minutes or it’s free!
What about the college degree? Four years or its free? Probably not.
But I digress.
This whole thing had me thinking. They need a better name.
Monaghan is the Domino Pizza magnate. The obvious choice would be the “Dominos.” You could line up a bunch of fans on the court during halftime and they would all fall on each other spelling out “Ave Maria.”
Notre Dame is the “Fighting Irish,” so how about the fighting “Magnates?” I’m not sure what it is but is sounds cool. How do I get to be a magnate?
It is a Roman Catholic University so how about the “Romans?” The “Gladiators” might seem a tad violent, but not as obvious as, say, the “Saints.”
Ave Maria needs to go with something more athletic, more authoritative; and who is more authoritative than those who choose the Pope – the “princes of the Church”, the “Cardinals?” What a great fit. It’s traditional, catchy and every time you see one flying around campus you are reminded to go to the game that night.
The school emblem is a bulldog, as that was the unofficial logo for Monaghan’s Marine Corp. Were the “Bulldogs” too easy a choice? I guess.
Regardless of their name, I encourage everyone to come out and show support for the new university in our backyard.
Go Gyrenes! (this is going to take some getting used to.)
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