The Referendum: How the Sound's World Times Settled On Its Name

The date was January 29th, 2026. The night before our very first issue was the same night the server became "Bing Bong themed". The server's name changed to "Bing Bong's World," #staff-list became #bing-bong-list, and dozens of members and staff members alike changed their names to "Bing Bong" or some variation of it. 

We capitalized on this by launching our second Sound's World Times ad marketing it as the "Bing Bong Times"—which generated tons of hype.

However, the next day, when the Bing Bong craze settled down and we debuted our first issue under the "Sound's World Times," many were confused. Where did the Bing Bong Times go? Why isn't it the "Bing Bong Times"?

For weeks, people unofficially referred to the Sound's World Times as the "Bing Bong Times," demanding that the name of the paper be changed to that. Editor-in-Chief MrDolphin decided to request a public poll that would settle this matter once and for all.

A few weeks later, on February 16th, the public poll finally made it to the front of the queue, and was posted. The battle between the Sound's World Times and the Bing Bong Times commencd, and immediately, the Sound's World Times became the favorite, leading in the polls. This lead widened as the 24 hours ticked by, and by the end of the poll, 75% of voters voted for the name to stay "Sound's World Times". The Sound's World Times won 38-13.

However, those 13 voters were not left ignored. With so many rallying behind the Bing Bong brand, on the same day, Bing Bong was made the official mascot of the Sound's World Times.

Today, you can see Bing Bong's influence on the Times everywhere, from the favicon, icon, and banners on the website, to the Bing Bong clipart scattered through every issue of the Times. When the announcement banner at the top is announcing a new issue, article, or other important happening, its bright Bing Bong green (the same one from the ad) serves as the background. At the Times, we cherish Bing Bong, and the referendum ensured that while the Sound's World Times moniker remained, Bing Bong would still take a key role throughout our publication.

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