New England Anti-Mascot Coalition

WLC Matters: Survey Says...
http://wlcblog.blogspot.com/2007/10/survey-says.html

October 15, 2007

By a margin of 49-to-1, WLC students want to keep the Warrior mascot.

A survey conducted during student advisories (the 10-minute class at the beginning of the day) asked if using the WLC warrior as the school logo is offensive. Six students said it was, 294 said it wasn't. Among 185 other community members likewise surveyed, it was 61-to-1.

No real surprise there. Although I wonder if the results would have been less one-sided if the question were "Do you think using the WLC Warrior as our logo is offensive to someone else?"

Students' comments included:

"It means our school is brave and fierce."
"Warriors are thought of as strong and we aren't using it in an offensive way."
"The Redskins football team is more offensive."
"Cleveland Indians, Atlanta Braves, Golden State Warriors, Kansas City Chiefs. … When they change we will."
"It would cost too much to change it."

Personally, I wouldn't make my case in the court of public opinion by arguing that someone else was more offensive than I. And in questions of right or wrong, I would prefer to first decide what's right; if it later turns out you can't afford it, at least you'll have made an informed decision.

Parents' comments included:

"A warrior is a noble person."
"Warrior is a term that is part of our history and heritage."
"Both my wife and I have native American Indian in us. We see no problem with it."
"Warrior describes one who is strong and willing to follow. It is not offensive to Indian tribes as it does not specifically point at a person or nationality, rather as one who serves well to themselves, shows respect for others and pride in themselves and their behavior."
"The logo does not need to be changed. Please spend our tax dollars on something more constructive like paving the driveway to the school or putting in a sidewalk for walkers."
"This is a joke. Why make trouble? Let's worry about teaching."

Again, regarding the cost: So far zero tax dollars have been spent on the mascot discussion. Time and thought, but no money. And even if a decision were made to change the mascot, what would it actually cost? There's zero chance that uniforms would be replaced before they wore out. Surely the field house would be repainted. (As long as we're on the subject, you'll have a chance to vote on a bond to fix School Road and add a sidewalk at District Meeting in March.)

And lastly, this has been a learning experience. The Telegraph's front-page story sparked discussions in the new Advisory curriculum. It has been a springboard for discussions about native Americans and periods in American history. It incidentally has caused students to use the words "WLC" and "pride" in the same sentence, at a time when school spirit has been abominably low.

Yet it could still be more of a learning experience. I think it's especially important for WLC students to be aware of different cultures, perspectives and sensitivities, especially if they plan to leave New Hampshire at some point. The students' survey answers (to me) showed more defensiveness than deep thinking. If the margin had been a little less lopsided than 49-to-1, I'd actually have felt better about the result.