To the Editor: As a birthright member of the Religious Society of Friends, Anna Forbes ought to know the difference between recreational activity and warfare ("Consider the Real Quakers," The Daily Pennsylvanian, 1/22/01). I respect Forbes' right to air her views, but I would like to point out that the University's mascot does not encourage athletes to engage in armed combat. Penn vs. Princeton at the Palestra is hardly the same thing as Desert Storm, and although I am not a Quaker, I am fairly certain the Society of Friends does not object to sports as a component of modern education. Mascots for sports of all kinds make historical reference to their locality's ethnic, religious and economic roots; and many people take pride in these references. Demon Deacons, Fighting Irish, Friars, Bishops, Vikings, Rebels, Cowboys, Packers -- the list goes on and on. Having attended a parochial high school whose uninspiring mascot was a Saint, I admit I cannot share Forbes' chagrin. Silly or not, the Quaker is an important reminder of Penn's history and a unique mascot. It would certainly be a shame to lose it.
Robert Ware Graduate School of Fine Arts '01
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