So a new addition found its way in the KCCGD headquarters kitchen collection a couple of weeks ago in the form of a small deep fryer.  The little thing is cute but it packs a powerful crisping punch.  We’ve dipped onion rings, breaded chicken patties, mushrooms, and even peanut butter and jelly sandwiches in that thing.  So for this week’s Mascot Monday, we will take some time to honor a mascot whom we think would taste great after a batter and fry treatment.  We’re sure an artichoke will taste great fried, but how does it stack up as a mascot.  Let’s find out with Scottsdale Community College’s Artie the Artichoke

Way back in 1970, a plot of land on the Salt River Indian reservation in Scottsdale, Arizona gave birth to the Scottsdale Community College.  In the voice of progressiveness, the administration opted to allow the student elected government to aid and sometimes run most of the decisions regarding allotment of funds for the college.  So when the students said books and day care while the administration said football and basketball, it was only a matter of time before a protest popped up.  And boy did it ever.  When given the decision to name the school’s mascot, the student body decided on an artichoke.

And so the legend of Artie the Artichoke was born.  He left a sting between the political concerned students on the campus and the money hungry administrators in the ivory towers for a good number of years.  It wasn’t until about 10 years in when everyone accepted Artie as the true mascot and patriarch to the athletic spirit of SCC.  Even in recent years, the college spruced up the image of Artie and Fighting Artie replaced the original Artie.  This plucky guy represents the small guy scruffiness that a community college needs.

So how does the actual mascot stand up?  Welp this is a college that has a primary focus on academics instead of athletics so our guess is that it’s a little weak.  The only image we saw of Artie was the happy original one.  So it’s a big artichoke. Artie’s got some shiny white gloves and a big ole goofy smile to sport.  He’s green and shapely.  The Fighting Artie seems a little more two-dimensional, because we could only find a cut out version of the veggie mascot.  Needless to say Artie is well short of spectacular but at least he gets the point across.

How much would it take to deep fry Artie?  Based on our calculations, it would take about 200 gallons of vegetable oil and about 20 pounds of beer batter to get the job done.  Now since he’s turned to Fighting Artie, there might be some trouble but it could also add some spice into the flavor.  It seems like since day one Artie has been fighting for the little sprout and standing straight up for rights of students and green stalks alike.  This we can align ourselves and look forward to dropping this dude into some thick batter.