Ryan Cook-
The entire campus of UW–Stout is in mourning after news of the Blue Devil’s death broke to the public. This is the result of an incident earlier last week in which an unnamed first-year student accidentally fell into the spacious grassy enclosure where the typically-peaceful mascot was dwelling.
Bystanders panicked when the large creature attempted to stand the student on their feet, and university staff quickly arrived to deal with the situation. Unfortunately, it was deemed necessary to end the Blue Devil’s life.
Activists from both near and far have come forth criticizing UW–Stout for alleged mascot abuse and needless use of violence. “The Blue Devil is already an endangered species. Just think about it, less than 20 are still out there at other universities.”
Critics have called for action and are demanding justice for the fallen mascot, which has ironically become more of a symbol now than it ever was during its lifetime. Hashtags are flooding Twitter. As at the time of this article being published, #justiceforbluedevil has already been trending for several hours.
The student who fell into the Blue Devil enclosure has yet to issue any formal statement about the incident, though it should be noted that nearly all of their social media accounts have been silent since the time of the shooting. Close friends of the student say that they are doing well, and are attempting to deal with the grief that all other UW–Stout students are likely feeling during these troubled times.
Want to voice your opinions about the Blue Devil? Have anything else to add to the discourse? Tweet at us with the hashtag #RIPbluedevil to let us know!