Wiscasset High School Principal MattCarlson unveiled a potential Wolverine” themed logo for the schools athletic teams at a regular meeting of the RSU 12 Board of Directors May 12.
Chosen via an online poll for RSU 12 residents, the “Wolverine” will replace the school’s current mascot, the “Redskin,” at the end of the school year in June.
The issue of the mascot, which first arose 12 years ago, was revisited in September 2010 after representatives from the Maine Indian Tribal-State Commission requested the school remove the “Redskin” image because they considered the moniker racist.
In November, the RSU 12 Board voted to form a committee to consider the issue. In January, the board decided to immediately and permanently remove the mascot, a decision that stunned many of the committee members. In March, the board reversed itself, reinstating the Redskin mascot through the end of the school year and charging the committee to come up with a new mascot for the school and presenting its decision at the May 12 meeting.
While some students and members of the community were opposed to the choice of “Wolverine,” Wiscasset High School student council advisor Deb Pooler said the committee was working under a deadline and needed to present an image to the board.
“We had a timeline to adhere to,” Pooler said May 16. “The choice was done completely above board and the students are starting to accept the reality of this change.”
Pooler said she had noticed a marked shift in the student body over the past few weeks from resentment to acceptance. While acknowledging the criticism the “Wolverine” choice has received-it is not an indigenous animal in Maine-Pooler said what’s more important is for kids to have a chance to embrace a symbol for their school.
“This is about moving on,” she said. “We plan to introduce the mascot in the fall but our seniors will graduate as Redskins this year, which is what they wanted.”
Due to a lack of submissions in a student logo competition, Carlson chose a design by Wiscasset alumnus and graphic designer Ted Clausen. One design of the logo depicts a snarling, cartoon Wolverine head superimposed over a large “W” in block type. In another image, the muscle bound character is spinning a basketball on its pointer finger while wisps of smoke circulate around the ball. During the meeting, RSU 12 Supt. Greg Potter said the mascot controversy had not been “easy at all” for the district, “but people have been respectful of each other throughout the dialogue, and that is an accomplishment.”
After whittling down its choices from 12, the mascot committee brought forth three choices for a new moniker including “Red Hawks” and the “Rebels.” In total, the “Wolverine” received 143 votes, the “Red Hawks” 118 and the “Rebels” 83.
After a brief discussion, the School Board voted to “voice their support for the work of the principal and the mascot committee” by a margin of 15-1-1 with Wiscasset board member Eugene Stover voting in opposition and Palermo’s Blake Brown abstaining. Pooler said the image as presented is subject to change but will be a “working” example.
“Change is always hard,” she said. “There will always be people against anything but the Redskin mascot. I think the kids, and hopefully the community, are coming to terms with it slowly but surely.”
(Additional reporting provided by Samuel J. Baldwin.)
