SAN DIEGO — In a bid to settle a divisive issue involving symbolism, tradition and cultural sensibilities, students and alumni at San Diego State University will vote next month on whether the university should adopt a character named Aztec Warrior as its official mascot.
The vote, arranged by San Diego State President Stephen L. Weber, is the latest round in a four-year controversy over how the university should deal with its historic affinity for the culture of the Aztec empire that ruled much of Mexico in the 15th and 16th centuries.
The Aztec Warrior character, unveiled Monday morning on the university's Web site, would appear at football and basketball games. San Diego State teams are known as the Aztecs.
The university has been without an official mascot for three seasons since Weber, despite protests from students and graduates, banned the longtime mascot Monty Montezuma, whose spear-throwing, chest-beating routine was a fan favorite.
Weber banned Monty, and later had his image removed from trinkets sold on campus, after Native American and Latino students complained that Monty Montezuma was culturally insensitive and historically incorrect. They also felt it racist to have a cheerleader dressed in a costume meant to represent a king.
Monty's banishment, however, did not sit well with alumni, including many in positions of political and economic power in San Diego.
In September 2002, a private group introduced Aztec Warrior as an unofficial mascot. Although banned from the playing field, Aztec Warrior roamed the stands, to the delight of fans.
With support for a mascot remaining strong, Weber decided to put the issue to a vote and abide by the results.
As a condition, he had the Aztec Warrior character revised by scholars to be more historically accurate than the figure created by the Aztec Warrior Foundation. Also, he noted that the new Aztec Warrior is a warrior, not a king like Montezuma.
With that revision complete, Weber scheduled the vote for Dec. 3-5, with results to be announced by Dec. 11. For the new Aztec Warrior to be approved, a majority of students and a majority of alumni will have to vote in favor.
"The lesson here is the power of symbols," Weber said. "You take people's symbols away from them, and they don't like it." As they have been since 1999, the sides are split.
