Date: Fri 09-Feb-1996

Publication: Bee

Author: STEVEB

Quick Words:

Indian-mascot-NHS-Manfredinia

Full Text:

with cuts: The Indian Must Go, School Administration Decides

B Y S TEVE B IGHAM

AND T OM W YATT

Shortly after 9 am Thursday morning, Newtown High School Principal Bill

Manfredonia announced the end of the school's Indian mascot to the student

body, effective June 1.

Before finishing, a roar broke out in the NHS lobby as more than 400 students

assembled in protest of the decision.

Before long, a majority of the protesters gathered in a circle and began

shouting the school's unofficial Indian war chant and broke out in the now

well-known Indian tomahawk chop. As more students joined in, the noise grew

louder.

Faculty and administrators stood among the protesters, quietly observing. Some

attempted to persuade students to go back to class.

Following another outburst, the crowd started for the front doors, paused, and

in a then took their demonstration outside.

After crossing the parking lot, about 250 students gathered in a huge circle

on the football field and continued their protest in the newly fallen snow.

Administrators and teachers stood high above the field patiently waiting for

the crowd to disburse. After about 10 minutes, the protesters filed back into

the school to continue their demonstration, which was still in progress at

press time (11:30 am).

On Monday, faculty members determined the NHS mascot's fate in an informal

vote. According to Mr Manfredonia, more than 90 percent of the staff voted to

drop the Indian.

Mr Manfredonia told students that he had planned to make an announcement about

the decision early next week, but moved it up as rumors began to surface.

"I want to have a mascot in this school that we can rally around and feel

proud,'' he told students over the public address system. "It's not a matter

of right or wrong. It's just that our mascot, right now, is not serving a

purpose to unify all students."

The controversy over the Indian's validity as a mascot at NHS became heated

back in 1990 when Jim Roiux, an American Indian, spoke to the NHS Leadership

Council, expressing his people's displeasure with the use of Indians as

mascots at all levels of sports. It nearly got changed that year when the

council voted unanimously to change the mascot, but the student body voted to

reverse the council's decision at an assembly. This time around, students did

not have a say.

"I know that's probably going to be a big criticism, but my feeling is this

isn't a vote issue. I just have to stand up and say, `I have to make the

call,'" Mr Manfredonia told The Bee prior to his announcement to the school.

"I'm finding the students to be split on this issue. If Newtown High School

was built today, we would probably never consider the Indian. I guess we're

different than we were 30 years ago."

Mr Manfredonia believes the issue is "a sports thing" and sees NHS athletes as

the ones who are the most passionate about the mascot.

While many students were passionate Thursday morning, others remain neutral.

Kevin Walker, a senior football player, who videotaped the protest, said he is

undecided on the issue.

"The honest truth is, I'm kind of indifferent to it. I've been presented the

facts. Part of me is still very pro-Indian and another part of me is against

the Indian mascot. It's kind of equated that it's not my fight," he said.

Charlie Kilson, an NHS custodian for the past 26 years, is part Indian. He'd

like the mascot to stay. "I don't think they should change it. Why should they

change it? How many years has it been?," he said Thursday.

Home economics teacher Mary Thomas, who is one eighth Indian, backed Mr

Manfredonia's decision, saying the school's mascot has been a source of

embarrassment at times.

"This is a divisive issue. Mr Manfredonia is totally correct in saying it's

time for a change. A quality school never meets its needs at the expense of

others.

Mr Manfredonia will be setting up a program with the Leadership Council so

that students can decide on the school's next mascot. A target date of June 1

has been set so that NHS can have a new mascot by next September.

"We'll finish out this sports year with the Indian mascot and try to do it in

as dignified a way as possible and we'll make the changeover at the end of

this year into next year," the principal said.