Date: Fri 19-Jan-1996

Publication: Bee

Author: STEVEB

Quick Words:

High-School-Indian-mascot

Full Text:

Indian Mascot Begins To Fade From The High School

B Y S TEVE B IGHAM

Where have all the Indians gone?

In name, the Newtown High School mascot appears alive and well along Berkshire

Road in Sandy Hook, but the Native American symbol has slowly begun to

disappear from the school.

The issue began two years ago when the debate began over whether or not the

Indian mascot was offensive to Native Americans. The controversy created a

division among students, some of whom believed the Indian mascot symbolized

honor, while others saw it as degrading. Since then, students and parents have

noticed what appears to be a push to tone down the mascot symbol.

The NHS bookstore used to be full of shirts with the word "Indians" or a

picture of an Indian face on the front, but those are no longer being made.

The store also used to sell pencils and mugs with the Indian logo on the side,

but store clerks have removed them from the shelves.

For years, the NHS Indian face at midcourt on the NHS basketball hardwood was

a well-known symbol, but that floor was recently ripped up and with it went

the Indian. Also gone is the Indian dance group that used to perform with the

cheerleaders at home football games, and NHS varsity jackets no longer depict

the Indian on the face of the jacket.

Though the NHS mascot remains, there is little evidence to prove it in the

school.

"It's still our mascot, but no one really acknowledges it," said senior

Kristina Petretti.

In a letter to The Newtown Bee this week, Newtown resident Richard English

took note of the issue.

"The new band uniforms are blue and gold with a small `Newtown' located on

both shoulders; quite a departure from the old uniforms, which featured the

school mascot in full headdress," he pointed out. "Has a decision been made

not to continue promoting the Indian mascot?"

Not officially, according to NHS Principal William Manfredonia.

"But we have tried to downsize it so to speak. That has been consciously

done," he said Thursday.

NHS physical education teacher Dan Winsette said the de-emphasization of the

Indian has been a natural progression among the school's faculty.

"We're phasing the Indian mascot out without ever being told we had to," Mr

Winsett explained. "No one has ever come forward and said we had to get rid of

the Indian."

Mr Manfredonia said the Indian mascot is no longer a rallying point at the

school and has been meeting with student organizations and faculty to

determine the future of the high school's nickname. He said a decision as to

whether the Newtown Indians will remain the Newtown Indians can be expected by

the end of this school year.