Oberlin Plague hockey players and fans are stumped over the possibility that the five foot papier-mache penis, a fixture of their home games, may be nipped.

An e-mail from team advisor Cortland Hill warned that “the penis needs to go if we would like to continue as a team.”

In the e-mail, Hill said athletic director Vin Lanana contacted him about the penis after a complaint following a game against Ohio Wesleyan last semester.

Yet Lanana said he had not censored the phallus, claiming that he knew nothing about the incident or complaint.

The monstrous phallus was erected in 2000 by Plague hockey fans. It has stood at attention every game since sliding into the rink during one contest and finding itself inserted in the penalty box by the referee, according to team captain Sarah Benjamin.

The penis left Plague hockey fans feeling blue after it disappeared when the College shut down the Plague’s hockey rink during the 2001 budget shrinkage, but it has made a triumphant return at Plague games in Elyria.

Hill maintains that he received a call from Lanana, but stressed it was just a concerned inquiry and in no way a threat.

“Vin was concerned about the image of the College,” Hill said, “but after hearing from the team, it’s clear to me that [the penis] belongs to the fans.”

Though Hill conceded that the team had some influence over their fans, he said the penis was not the Plague’s responsibility.

“You can’t penalize the team for something the fans do,” Hill said.

President Nancy Dye expressed bewilderment at the situation.

“Clearly the athletic department is looking to enhance its performance in sports, give student athletes a good experience and convey a good impression of itself, but I don’t see how that translates into what you’re talking about,” Dye said.

Benjamin said the flapping phallus has not distracted the team.

“I think the penis is funny, but from a team standpoint it doesn’t do anything for or against our skating. It’s something for the crowd to get them involved. We’re happy for any fan support we can get.”

Team member Paul Hansen considered the penis a longstanding institution of the Plague and said the athletic department had no place interfering with it.

“Considering the athletic department provides the hockey team with less than two percent of our budget and no logistical support, our fans should be allowed to continue the tradition as they see fit,” said Hansen. “The fact that it has survived this many years attests to the enthusiasm of the fans, and the amusement the penis provides.”

It has been harder for the Plague to attract the crowds it once did since it started playing games in Elyria.

Some have called the apparent decision hypocritical.

“I think its ridiculous that on campus we can do Safer sex Night and Drag Ball, but when it comes to an athletic game we’re censored,” one student remarked.