Students push Admiral Ackbar for Ole Miss mascot

ArtsBeat reports: For a character who makes only a passing appearance in the original “Star Wars” trilogy, things are going swimmingly for Admiral Ackbar, a bit player from Return of the Jedi. Ackbar, the squidlike leader of the Rebel Alliance’s assault on the Death Star who vocally declares that his forces have stumbled into a trap, has lately been ensnared by the popular culture: he’s received shout-outs on television programs from “Robot Chicken” to “The Daily Show” to “The Colbert Report.” And if things go his way, he could even end up the new mascot of the University of Mississippi.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that the students of Ole Miss voted on Tuesday to seek a new mascot to replace the school’s Colonel Reb, who was deemed too evocative of the Old South and potentially offensive. Among the leading candidates to replace the Colonel? The Admiral, who’s been getting a boost from student Web sites like notatrap.org, which declares: “He led the Galactic Rebellion, and he knew he needed to be with the Ole Miss Rebels.”

While a student committee to propose a new mascot is still in the early stages of formation, Lucasfilm, which produced the “Star Wars” movies, has given a (tongue-in-cheek) endorsement to Ackbar’s candidacy. In a statement, the studio said:

Lucasfilm is flattered that our Star Wars fans at the University of Mississippi are considering electing Admiral Ackbar as their mascot. The last time we checked in with Admiral Ackbar he was leading the Rebel Alliance Fleet on a critical mission so it will be difficult for him to show up for the games!