The new logo for the University of Connecticut’s sports teams is a terrifying husky dog that calls to mind images of sexual assault, says one student.
The new logo was unveiled last week, receiving mixed-to-negative reviews from UConn fans who preferred the older, cuter husky dog.
But one student went much further, criticizing the new, meaner logo for being a pro-rape symbol.
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In an open letter to UC President Susan Herbst, self-described feminist student Carolyn Luby wrote that the redesigned team logo will intimidate women and empower rape culture.
UConn basketball coach Geno Auriemma said the logo “is looking right through you and saying, ‘Do not mess with me.’ This is a streamlined, fighting dog, and I cannot wait for it to be on our uniforms and court.â€
In response, Luby wrote, “What terrifies me about the admiration of such traits is that I know what it feels like to have a real life Husky look straight through you and to feel powerless, and to wonder if even the administration cannot ‘mess with them.’ And I know I am not alone.â€
There were two sexual assaults at UConn involving athletes in the past year, Luby claimed.
The logo and the teams it represents are menacing to women, she wrote.
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“The face of real life UConn athletics is certainly capable of frightening college women,†wrote Luby.
Herbst did not respond to requests for comment.
