Students at the University of Mississippi voted Tuesday to choose a new mascot in place of the deposed antebellum character “Colonel Reb.” Now it’s up to a student committee to develop and propose a new mascot for the Rebels — and one of their choices is out of this world.
A grassroots online movement has formed to draft Admiral Ackbar, the Mon Calimari fleet commander of the Rebel Alliance in Star Wars: Episode VI — Return of the Jedi, into the Ole Miss cause. Their rallying cry? “Who wants a Colonel when you could have an Admiral?”
The group has a website where you can donate to the cause via PayPal (it’s not a trap), print a flyer and purchase merchandise (“coming soon”). Of course, they’re also on Twitter and Facebook (as “Ackbar Olemiss”).
It’s doubtful that Lucasfilm, as relaxed as it has become in recent years and as strong as its commitment to education has been, would allow one of its characters to be used in such a high-profile manner. But the media coverage the effort has generated — from the Official Star Wars Blog to The Washington Post — shows just how powerful the Force has become.
