POPLAR RIDGE - In the words of one Genoa woman, it's all about Chief pride.
Brenda Tyrrell stood in front of the Southern Cayuga Central School District Board of Education Monday and made her case on why an emblem designed by her sister Kate in 1990 should become the next district logo.
And the board listened.
In an unanimous decision, the board adopted the logo to be displayed on letterhead and other school paraphernalia.
The logo is all text shaped in a circle. Scrolling across the top is the word "SuCCeeS," which spells out the district acronym while also describing what the school embodies. Across the bottom is the phrase, "It's all in our name." A bold "Chiefs" is in the prime spot, dead center.
The board and Superintendent Mary Kay Worth sought input from students and community stakeholders in January on a visual representation of the school mascot, which, even informally, has in the past has been associated with Native American cultures.
Students and community members were permitted to submit designs for consideration over the last few months. After the district extended the deadline, the designs were narrowed down to two submissions.
Tyrrell said the designs were not explicitly linked to what one might think when thinking of the word, "Chiefs." She said that any image of Native American culture was not meant to be derogatory but rather honor the people that lived there.
"We are changing the Chiefs image because it offends a few," she said, "to replace it with another one which offends many, many, many in the community, who are offended."
Her sister suggested the design to a teacher in 1990, Tyrrell continued, but it was struck down because one teacher did not like it.
But on Monday it got the full approval from the board.
In other news
* The board will convene its reorganizational meeting at 7 p.m. July 14 at the planetarium classroom at the Poplar Ridge campus on Route 34B. A regular board meeting will follow.
And the board listened.
In an unanimous decision, the board adopted the logo to be displayed on letterhead and other school paraphernalia.
The logo is all text shaped in a circle. Scrolling across the top is the word "SuCCeeS," which spells out the district acronym while also describing what the school embodies. Across the bottom is the phrase, "It's all in our name." A bold "Chiefs" is in the prime spot, dead center.
The board and Superintendent Mary Kay Worth sought input from students and community stakeholders in January on a visual representation of the school mascot, which, even informally, has in the past has been associated with Native American cultures.
Students and community members were permitted to submit designs for consideration over the last few months. After the district extended the deadline, the designs were narrowed down to two submissions.
Tyrrell said the designs were not explicitly linked to what one might think when thinking of the word, "Chiefs." She said that any image of Native American culture was not meant to be derogatory but rather honor the people that lived there.
"We are changing the Chiefs image because it offends a few," she said, "to replace it with another one which offends many, many, many in the community, who are offended."
Her sister suggested the design to a teacher in 1990, Tyrrell continued, but it was struck down because one teacher did not like it.
But on Monday it got the full approval from the board.
In other news
* The board will convene its reorganizational meeting at 7 p.m. July 14 at the planetarium classroom at the Poplar Ridge campus on Route 34B. A regular board meeting will follow.
The Citizens' Say
There are 1 comment(s)
Farmer's Gal wrote on Jul 1, 2008 8:33 AM: