Mark Nothaft

Special for The Republic | azcentral.com

Scottsdale Community College administrators asked students in 1972 to vote for a new mascot

Students attempted to embarrass leadership by adopting the Artichokes moniker

Artie the Artichoke, however, has proven to be a popular mascot over the years

It’s hard to imagine happy-go-lucky Artie the Artichoke, Scottsdale Community College’s beloved mascot, embroiled in anything other than school spirit.

He’s like the Jolly Green Giant without the “giant” part; clearly green but round like the veggie with wild cartoon eyes and a smart-aleck grin.

But, interestingly, controversy is exactly what broke out when the mascot was conceived in the early 1970s as the university grappled with sports versus classroom funding. Students felt more should be allocated to academics and protests ensued.

So when school administrators asked students in 1972 to vote for a new mascot, they attempted to embarrass leadership by adopting the Artichokes moniker. The other two choices were the “Scoundrels” and “Rutabagas.”

“It took another election and a lengthy battle for the name to become official,” says Jonathan Higuera of SCC’s Institutional Advancement and Community Engagement department. “Little did they know then that students and the community would come to embrace the quirky Artichoke mascot.”

Old mascot

I usually like my artichokes steamed fresh with butter or pickled on a salad, but it’s definitely an improvement over the school’s previous mascot — the “Drovers,” as in cattle drovers.

“Students and alumni embrace their status as an Artichoke,” Higuera says. “… The phones come out immediately for selfies with Artie when he makes appearances on campus and in the community. Students commonly refer to the school as ‘Artichoke Nation’ and athletic teams as the ‘Fighting Artichokes.’ ”

Artie’s audience extends beyond campus as well. In December 2015, the SCC campus hosted the National Football League’s Pro Bowl practices and Artie drew lots of attention. He had his picture taken with coaches, ESPN broadcasters and NFL players, including the Arizona Cardinals’ Patrick Peterson.

Artie also has appeared at Arizona Diamondbacks games during “Mascot Day” and other public events. He’s frequently included on national “best college mascots” lists.

Academics important

Higuera says Artie was “born from an earnest desire by students to recognize the importance of academics at a higher education institution.”

In and out of athletics, there are many notable fellow ‘Chokes, including actor and comedian David Spade, who attended Saguaro High School and later SCC before transferring to Arizona State; Seattle Seahawks fullback Will Tukuafu; former St. Louis Rams quarterback Joe Germaine; U.S. Rep. David Schweikert of Arizona’s 6th District; former Major League Baseball outfielder “Sweet” Lou Frazier, who played for the Montreal Expos, Texas Rangers and Chicago White Sox; among others.

All this sports talk makes me hungry. Time to dig out that jar of artichokes in the pantry.

Contact “Only in Arizona” columnist Mark Nothaft at marknothaft.onlyinaz@gmail.com. Send him the weird and fun facts and places found #OnlyInArizona.

When did ASU start worshiping Sparky and the Sun Devils?

Why do Arizona Wildcats 'Bear Down'?