BOUNTIFUL — The Bountiful High School administration is nearing a decision on the school’s new mascot and is surveying students and members of the public on their preferences.
The options? How about the Bears? Blazers/Trailblazers? Lightning/Bolts or Redhawks?
The survey closes Monday.
“While the final decision will be made by the Bountiful High School administration, student and public input is a valuable part of the decision-making,” the survey states.
On Nov. 30, Bountiful High School Principal Aaron Hogge announced that the school’s Braves mascot would be retired. This past summer, alumni and others raised concerns that the Braves mascot was culturally insensitive and inappropriate.
A change.org petition started by an alumnus said the mascot is “offensive, outdated and racist” and called for a change from Braves mascot, which dates back to 1951.
When Hogge announced the longtime mascot would be retired, he said the school community would embark on a process to select “a culturally sensitive mascot that will unite all in unity, respect, honor, courage, bravery and excellence in the classroom and on the stage, court or field.”
Hogge said he came to the decision after months of study, public meetings and private meetings that included the input of representatives of the Northwestern Band of the Shoshone Nation, current Bountiful High School students, faculty and staff, and community members.
Braves remains the school’s mascot for the rest of this academic year. The school’s colors of red and gray will not change.
At the start of the current school year, the school announced no student would appear at athletic events wearing Native American costumes, which had been a longtime practice at football and basketball games.
Hogge, in his fourth year as principal, has slowly moved away from using a Native American male as a logo, shifting to a block B and an arrow or a feather. The school painted over several images that depicted Native American figures.