Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/Supercow (mascot)

The following discussion is an archived debate of the proposed deletion of the article below. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as the article's talk page or in a deletion review). No further edits should be made to this page.

The result of the debate was Delete. There are a large number of new users, and welcome to all of you, we're glad you are here and hope you choose to stay and contribute to our encyclopedia. In fact it was just such a discussion that got me hooked on Wikipedia, believe it or not... and it's great fun. But most of the commentors did not address the issue with the article, that it does not establish notability for a general interest encyclopedia such as this one. The longer time users all have concurred with this, and even though numerically the Keeps (not DO NOT DELETE!) have it, we don't count noses, we operate on consensus weighing the arguments and inputs given. This article is a clear delete on that basis, in my judgement. I think that some small portion of this article could be merged ito the school article and would be happy to userify it if requested. Delete --++Lar: t/c 02:45, 19 June 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Supercow (mascot)

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Non-notable - prod tag removed TigerShark 19:07, 10 June 2006 (UTC)

• Expand article to include unmentioned broader history of Supercow. The Supercow is a well known mascot among all engineering schools in Canada. It is frequently the subject of being stolen by other schools (There is a notable incident involving Royal Military College which has an associated video) - Morphix (talk) 18:29l 14 June 2006 (UTC)

Note: 4th edit by user. TigerShark 19:52, 14 June 2006 (UTC)

• Delete per nom. —Mets501^talk 19:09, 10 June 2006 (UTC)
• Delete, per nom. - Motor (talk) 07:47, 11 June 2006 (UTC)
• Merge to proper school, which should also have an article created. I'm not convicned it's non-notable, for it can easily end up in the school article for the time being until it's a viable one. --badlydrawnjeff talk 16:05, 11 June 2006 (UTC)
• Delete No, sorry. This isn't notable. While the school might be important, this particular mascot is not. Too bad too, I was thinking it was about Cow and Chicken, though the opinion would've been the same. Kevin_b_er 02:27, 12 June 2006 (UTC)
• Do Not Delete There is no reason to delete this page. Supercow is my Hero :) —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 142.104.250.115 (talk • contribs).
• Do Not Delete Supercow is fondly recognized amongst engineering students across Canada and well immersed in the traditions and spirit that said students work to promote —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 209.183.145.219 (talk • contribs).
• DO NOT DELETE Supercow is recognized by thousands of engineers across Canada.204.239.248.193 18:30, 14 June 2006 (UTC)
• Please don't delete Supercow. As a recently graduate of a canadian engineering program, i must say that although many engineering schools have mascots, few (none, actually) can boast the widespread recognizability and quirky adventures of Supercow. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 216.9.243.111 (talk • contribs) .
• DO NOT DELETE I realize that it might appear silly, but supercow is the face of the Engineering Students' Society at the U of C. As president I can gaurantee there is more to come, I promise! —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Sketchy6966 (talk • contribs) .

Note: 1st edit by user. TigerShark 19:52, 14 June 2006 (UTC)

• Do Not Delete Although Supercow does pertain to one specific department at one specific school, it is a source of pride, entertainment, and humour at schools across North America (let alone Canada). The reason for this importance, isn't just in its entertainment value, but also in how well it symbolizes the school spirit that so many engineering schools attempt to foster. Much like the Red Suits at McMaster, the Cannon at U of T, and the Tool at Waterloo, Super Cow symbolizes not just the sprit of a single school, but also the enthusiasm many have for engineering as a whole. Furthermore, SuperCow is regularly used as an example within provincial levels of engineering student societies, and internationally. The similarities between UofG's Supercow and Wisconsin's cow at the US national engineering conference were also a topic of discussion. Merging this article into a parent article would be detrimental to the subject material, because the concepts of engineering spirit embodied by suprcow transcend the subject of a single school. Rather than suggesting deletion, I think we should be pushing the original author to update the article to reflect reality a little more. Joseph Fung 19:04, 14 June 2006 (UTC)

Note: 2nd edit by user. TigerShark 19:52, 14 June 2006 (UTC)

Note: Although I always appreciate your contributions, as someone who has always enjoyed reading (even when not participating) wikipedia, the implication that my comment is less valid due to my lack of contributions is somewhat frustrating.Joseph Fung 02:10, 18 June 2006 (UTC)

• DO NOT DELETE Engineering in Canada has a long history of traditions and symbols. This is also applicable to the various student organizations across the country that help to promote engineering and serve engineering students. Supercow is quite possibly one of the most recognized symbols throughout student engineering, alongside many othe symbols listed above. In fact, supercow's visibility is not just constrained to Canada, but is also recognized in the United States (through the auspices of the National Association of Engineering Student Councils) and Europe (through the Board of European Students of Technology. Please do not delete, as it would be a great disservice to a large segment of the wiki community. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 66.36.152.3 (talk • contribs) .
• DO NOT DELETE Supercow is an important player in the unity of the Canadian Engineering Schools. I have seen the above mentioned video at the 2006 Canadian Federation of Engineering Students Congress in Windsor Ontario in January 2006. I also have a picture of SuperCow taken from Congress '06. (seen here [1]). Signed, Tommy O'Dell. Former VP of Communications of the Memorial University of Newfoundland Engineering Undergraduate Student Society B. (Also known as --134.153.31.26 19:24, 14 June 2006 (UTC))
• DO NOT DELETE Supercow is a symbol of the dedication/bull headedness needed to be an engineer. He is frequently abducted/imperiled and mus tovercome many troublesome situations. In other words, he represents the student experience to a T. While an iconoclast may point out that the grounding of ideas or attributes to a physical object inherently warps them, it also true that a totem such as Supercow allows students at U of C engg to identify with the aforementioned virtues in a tangible way, without getting lost in abstract discussions on philosophical underpinnings, as has been known to happen. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 142.56.86.20 (talk • contribs) .
• Do Not Delete Originating from the University of Calgary, Supercow is constantly travelling amoung engineering schools across Canada. Last year she spent most of the year in Eastern Canada, touring a number of engineering schools and starring in her own video. Merging with a school page is inappropriate, though I agree the history, pictures, and video should be elaborated on this page. Supercow is notable amoung a vast number of engineers across Canada. Mark Skovmose 20:46, 14 June 2006 (UTC)

Note: 1st edit by user. TigerShark 15:35, 15 June 2006 (UTC)

• DON'T DELETE Being one of the co-founders of Supercow, I have a soft spot for this mascot. I was fortunate enough to have it accompany us on its first trip to a national conference, and we proudly displayed Supercow whenever we could. Somewhat surprised by the attention he was getting, students from across Canada began placing their school stickers on Supercow. He became an instant hit at the conference, with schools trying to claim him as their own (all in friendly fashion of course). It can be said with pride that I was among some of the first few to take Supercow on its first adventure, and it is amazing to see how far it has travelled and how much recognition it gets. I think it would truly be a shame to lose a piece of Engineering Pride across Canada by removing it from Wikipedia. More exposure to this mascot will only accompany more a sense of belonging as Canadian University student, and explain to those inquisitors exactly the signifance of Supercow. - Simmer —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Simmer2 (talk • contribs) .

Note: 1st edit by user. TigerShark 15:39, 15 June 2006 (UTC)

• DO NOT DELETE Supercow is an iconic symbol to all Engineering Students across Canada, please save this page! —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Deepg (talk • contribs) . TigerShark 15:41, 15 June 2006 (UTC)

Note: 1st edit by user. TigerShark 15:41, 15 June 2006 (UTC)

• DO NOT DELETE Supercow has recognition not only at the University of Calgary, but with Engineering schools across Canada. Thavron 21:14, 14 June 2006 (UTC)
• DO NOT DELETE Supercow is a iconic engineering figure in many Canadian Engineering Schools. When future generations of engineering students wish to learn about the history of Supercow, they should be afforded the opportunity to consult a credible, well-written and complete source. That source is, and should remain, Wikipedia. -McKimmie —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 64.95.214.18 (talk • contribs) .
• DO NOT DELETE This Supercow article is a valid history/commentary on an icon of Canadian Engineering Culture. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 66.183.128.175 (talk • contribs) .
• DO NOT DELETE Supercow is recognized by engineering students across Canada and is gaining recognition with engineering schools around the world. As Supercow is brought to more and more engineering conferences and events, his/her popularity will undoubtedly increase even further. A page like this will preserve Supercow's history and provide a place for people that are newly exposed to him/her to get some background information. Please don't delete this page.—The preceding unsigned comment was added by 66.183.128.175 (talk • contribs) .
• Strong Delete not notable JPotter 23:33, 15 June 2006 (UTC)
• Expand The article in its current form only mentions supercows existance which is not significant enough to be an article. However if its history once provided and expanded shows that supercow has been involved in events which are relavant to undergraduate enginneering students in general it becomes a notable mascot. As there are about 48000 engineering students at anyone time if this mascot has been involved significantly accross canada I would consider it notable.68.147.36.105 -Greg
• Strong Do Not Delete Many special interest articles exist on Wikipedia that would only appeal to a very specific audience. Just follow a few links under art, literature, or any specific branch of science to see what I mean. The idea of "non-notable" is purely subjective, and, as can be seen from this discussion, Supercow is not "non-notable" to a significant number of people. I would argue against merging this article with the school's article, because the two topics are quite separate from each other. If the concern is about the substance of the article, the best solution would be to close this discussion so that the many willing contributors can be expanding and refining the article as opposed to fighting to keep it from deletion. It would be against the spirit of Wikipedia to delete an article to which there is an interested audience and willing contributors. Zuluct 17:15, 17 June 2006 (UTC)

Note: User's 11th edit. All other edits have been to the nominated article. TigerShark 13:31, 17 June 2006 (UTC)

• Delete as nn and when the school's article is created, list it in the infobox like every other school mascot. Oh, and if any more IPs or accounts with seven edits vote Keep here, please don't obnoxiously write it as DO NOT DELETE.--Kchase02 T 04:52, 18 June 2006 (UTC)
• Don't Delete but Expand This article is not about a mascot for any particular school, but a mascot for tens of thousands of engineering students across Canada. Surely it would be a misrepresentation of the subject matter to hide this away in a mostly unrelated article, aside from the fact that this happened to be the school that began a nationwide tradition. That being said, I believe more detail on the actual mascot is required in order for this article to convey useful information, but deleteing it will most certainly not accomplish this. Secondly, the number of previous edits a user has on wikipedia really has no bearing on the validity of their opinion. Many users view wikipedia articles but do not edit, and these people have equally valid opinions as to what sort of articles are useful and interesting to the users of wikipedia. —The preceding comment was added by TristanJ (talk • contribs) .

User's 11th edit.--Kchase02 T 09:08, 18 June 2006 (UTC)

The above discussion is preserved as an archive of the debate. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as the article's talk page or in a deletion review). No further edits should be made to this page.