SANFORD, Maine — They could be the Pride, the Stampede, Spartans or the Cardinals.
Sanford residents and alumnus will find out later this week which name will become Sanford High School’s new mascot.
Gordie Salls Sanford High School athletic director, rolled out the possible monikers to the school committee Monday, explaining the process students used to narrow the choices to four. And while the school committee approved all four names, students will be the ones who make the final decision. Voting is scheduled to take place Thursday.
The Pride logo would feature two lions in profile; running bulls would be a feature of the Stampede; Spartans would be depicted by a war helmet; and the Cardinals would feature the red bird.
The school committee last month voted 4-1 to retire the Sanford Redskins mascot. Citing the need for students to have a mascot they could rally around — the Redskins name was de-emphasized several years ago — the school committee decided it was time to make a change.
The decision pleased members of the Maine Indian Tribal State Commission, who had urged the school department to make a change. MITSC members said the name “Redskins” originated as a term for the bloody scalps of indigenous people taken for bounty in the mid-1700s.
Salls told the school committee he and Principal Jed Petsinger gathered team captains, leaders of school organizations, students council members and others — about 75 students in all — and instructed them to poll the students for possible mascot names. Community members were urged to email names to the school as well. Salls didn’t say how many suggestions were received at the beginning, but the list was narrowed down to four.
“I was glad to be a part of this process,” said Taylor Littlefield, who will be a senior in the fall. “We wanted to show unity. I personally like the pride of lions.”
“I like all the names,” said Calvin Eisenhaur, who will be a junior at Sanford High School come September. “I thought we should change our mascot. We can represent ourselves with honor.”
School committee members praised Salls, Petsinger and the students in how they conducted the process.
“You did an exceptional job,” said Chairman Don Jamison.
Noting eighth-graders from Sanford Junior High School and Acton Elementary School will be freshmen at Sanford High School in the fall, committee members asked Salls to include those students in the vote.
Resident Paul Auger suggested students take part in weighted voting so a winner would be chosen with a majority of the vote. Without weighted voting and four choices in the mix, Auger said the winner could end up being chosen with just 26 percent of the vote.
While school committee members agreed that might be a good idea, they said the process was too far advanced to make the change. Salls indicated two of the choices apparently are more popular, at least among seniors, who already have voted.
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As a Sanford High graduate and a native American I was always proud of the Redskin name ! To bad this country after 200 plus years decided to be politically correct instead of having the guts it was founded on !
The “politically correct” thing just seems like a good excuse to purposefully offend people. The kids themselves said it was a mascot hard to rally around. Let them choose one they can and leave it at that. No one is going to take away your memories and times at Sanford.
The dozen or so Native Americans I’ve spoken to and specifically asked their thoughts on the name and logo changes all said they felt as if part of their identity was being swept away. Most had been proud that the schools at least recognized them in some small way.
This was also true in the name change of Squaw Mountain and other road and street names in the state.
Too PC for me.
woodchuckranger, I respect your opinion and the right to have it, although I cannot follow your logic as an Indian person for thinking that way. I feel alot differently however. As a Micmac, I find the name Redskins is offensive when used in that manner. I know this is an unpopular stance in Maine. I remember the hurtful comments in this paper when the Squaw Mountain- lake issue was addressed. The newpaper did not enforce it’s own TOS. Racial slurrs abounded in these very pages unabated. Why? Because it is ok to kick Indians around, always has been, always will be. If you think different consider this. What if some of us (Indian People) went and dug up George Washington. Abe Lincoln, or JFK’s bones and put them in a museum on the Res for all to come and gawk at. Far fetched? Go to any museum in any metropolitan area, and artifacts of our people, bones, sacred objects abound on display. If we had the “guts” we founded this nation on, lets name some teams the “Blackskins” and see how that works out. The ACLU would be in Maine in droves. We should also take away a womans right to vote whilst we are going back to the “good old days” of political incorrectness and to our roots as a nation. Speaking of voting, lets repeal the Indian Voting Act as well. Fifty-four years after the 15th Amendment granted all citizens, regardless of
race, color, or previous condition of servitude the right to vote, the
“Citizenship Act,” made Indians citizens, thus granting them protection under
the 15th Amendment. Despite their U.S. citizenship and accompanying right to
vote, historically Indians were prevented from participating in elections in many environs. My Grandpa used to opine about fighting in a war for this nation (WWI) and not being able to vote upon his return. Hence, the mention of theabove referenced act. I applaud the efforts of the Maine Indian Tribal State Commission in bringing this discussion to the table. It not only makes common sense to begin this discussion, it is the right thing to do. In addition, Sanford High School is to be commended for doing the best thing for all involved, Indian people by respecting them, and their students by educating them to cultural awareness, not political correctness.
Sounds like someone’s got a real axe (or hatchet) to grind…
I hate to point this out but your not a INDIAN!!! As you point out your a Micmac
! The word Indian is a mistake and is improperly used. Yet again those throwing stones are doing so not at the glass but at there reflection in the mirror.
“It doesn’t immediately strike me as disrespectful, and if this is the way it has been for a long time. Therefore is cannot possibly be disrespectful.”
There is a problem with the above logic!
Why not change their mascot to Mr. Potato Head. Then they could have kept the name. :)
Also, along lines of PC, how long before they change all the Squares in the state (ex. Monument Square in Portland) since they have “Squa” in their name?
Thank you all for proving my point.
When PETA decides it is cruel to use animal names then what?
How about the “Sanford Suns”? Yes, they would have to have a red fox as a mascot.
Daughter just came home from Sanford High School and we are officially the SANFORD SPARTANS.