When the Roanoke College athletic program began 100 years ago, its student-athletes donned maroon uniforms--it happened to be the color they found--and its teams have been called the Maroons ever since. Now, administrators have finally decided it's about time to choose a mascot.

To do so, they are using video --and having a lot of fun with the whole process. They started by asking alumni, on camera, to answer the question, "What does it mean to be a Maroon?" and posted videos of their answers on a special Web site. Then, they spent an afternoon videotaping students doing humorous mascot auditions and placed these on the site as "rejected" entries (the "Roanoke Rationalist" and "Roanoke Klingon" are two favorites). The videos can also be found on YouTube.

"This whole project pushed the envelope a little bit," admits Teresa Gereaux, Roanoke's Director of Public Relations. "But we've laughed a ton working on it. It's been fun to present this information in a way that reaches the students."

From now until Oct. 1, students are encouraged to visit the site and suggest additional mascot ideas with prizes for the winning ideas. The top five entries will be voted on by the college community, with Roanoke's president making the final call. Visitors to the site can also comment on the videos, friend the "Maroon Mascot" on Facebook, and view the latest mascot suggestions.

To read about Roanoke's mascot search and see the audition videos, go to: www.classiccollege.com.