Fort Bend Owl
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OT - new nicknames for Lamar and Westbury
HISD changed the names of four high school and middle schools today because they were racially insensitive. Lamar (formerly the Redskins) is going to be the Lamar Texans. Westbury (formerly the Rebels) becomes the Westbury Huskies. Welch Middle School (formerly the Warriors) becomes the Welch Wolf Pack. And Hamilton Middle School (formerly the Indians) also becomes the Hamilton Huskies (hey it's hard coming up with new acceptable nicknames and HISD actually had to come up with four of them!).
The only name I think is fine is Lamar's new name. What is insensitive about the nickname the Warriors?
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04-15-2014 03:29 PM |
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Tomball Owl
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RE: OT - new nicknames for Lamar and Westbury
All I can do is shake my head.
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04-15-2014 03:30 PM |
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loki_the_bubba
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RE: OT - new nicknames for Lamar and Westbury
It's a sad day. I'll always be a Westbury Rebel.
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04-15-2014 03:33 PM |
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RiceLad15
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RE: OT - new nicknames for Lamar and Westbury
(04-15-2014 03:29 PM)Fort Bend Owl Wrote: HISD changed the names of four high school and middle schools today because they were racially insensitive. Lamar (formerly the Redskins) is going to be the Lamar Texans. Westbury (formerly the Rebels) becomes the Westbury Huskies. Welch Middle School (formerly the Warriors) becomes the Welch Wolf Pack. And Hamilton Middle School (formerly the Indians) also becomes the Hamilton Huskies (hey it's hard coming up with new acceptable nicknames and HISD actually had to come up with four of them!).
The only name I think is fine is Lamar's new name. What is insensitive about the nickname the Warriors?
I don't really get the issue with the Warriors or the Rebels, so long as the physical depiction of both weren't a cartoonish Indian chief or a Southern soldier. The Golden State Warriors are an example of a completely sanitized, sensitive, yet not to the point of absurd, team that uses Warriors as a nickname. You might have a harder time with the Rebel one, but hey, could have gone the Ole Miss route and tried to get Admiral Ackbar to be the mascot.
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04-15-2014 03:37 PM |
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WRCisforgotten79
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RE: OT - new nicknames for Lamar and Westbury
(04-15-2014 03:33 PM)loki_the_bubba Wrote: It's a sad day. I'll always be a Westbury Rebel.
And I am a graduate of Robert E. Lee High School ( HISD "sanitized" it to "Lee High School" in a particularly egregious bit of over-the-top PC). Meanwhile, there still is a Jefferson Davis High School.
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04-15-2014 04:31 PM |
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Hardball Owl
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RE: OT - new nicknames for Lamar and Westbury
(04-15-2014 03:37 PM)RiceLad15 Wrote: (04-15-2014 03:29 PM)Fort Bend Owl Wrote: HISD changed the names of four high school and middle schools today because they were racially insensitive. Lamar (formerly the Redskins) is going to be the Lamar Texans. Westbury (formerly the Rebels) becomes the Westbury Huskies. Welch Middle School (formerly the Warriors) becomes the Welch Wolf Pack. And Hamilton Middle School (formerly the Indians) also becomes the Hamilton Huskies (hey it's hard coming up with new acceptable nicknames and HISD actually had to come up with four of them!).
The only name I think is fine is Lamar's new name. What is insensitive about the nickname the Warriors?
I don't really get the issue with the Warriors or the Rebels, so long as the physical depiction of both weren't a cartoonish Indian chief or a Southern soldier. The Golden State Warriors are an example of a completely sanitized, sensitive, yet not to the point of absurd, team that uses Warriors as a nickname. You might have a harder time with the Rebel one, but hey, could have gone the Ole Miss route and tried to get Admiral Ackbar to be the mascot.
Reminds me of when St. John's School changed from "Rebels" (identified with the Confederacy) to "Rebels" (identified with the American Revolution).
That wasn't deemed enough of a change, so they changed to "Mavericks". One wag said a more appropriate mascot was "Conformists".
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04-15-2014 04:46 PM |
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georgewebb
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RE: OT - new nicknames for Lamar and Westbury
(04-15-2014 03:37 PM)RiceLad15 Wrote: (04-15-2014 03:29 PM)Fort Bend Owl Wrote: HISD changed the names of four high school and middle schools today because they were racially insensitive. Lamar (formerly the Redskins) is going to be the Lamar Texans. Westbury (formerly the Rebels) becomes the Westbury Huskies. Welch Middle School (formerly the Warriors) becomes the Welch Wolf Pack. And Hamilton Middle School (formerly the Indians) also becomes the Hamilton Huskies (hey it's hard coming up with new acceptable nicknames and HISD actually had to come up with four of them!).
The only name I think is fine is Lamar's new name. What is insensitive about the nickname the Warriors?
I don't really get the issue with the Warriors or the Rebels, so long as the physical depiction of both weren't a cartoonish Indian chief or a Southern soldier. The Golden State Warriors are an example of a completely sanitized, sensitive, yet not to the point of absurd, team that uses Warriors as a nickname. You might have a harder time with the Rebel one, but hey, could have gone the Ole Miss route and tried to get Admiral Ackbar to be the mascot.
"Warriors" is definitely a cool name, and general enough that there would seem to be no need to change it.
I agree that "Rebels" is also reasonably general -- but also kinda dumb, in that being a general "rebel" doesn't seem very inspiring. It's about like being the "Troublemakers".
Hamilton MS (presumably named after Alexander Hamilton) could readily have been the Generals. But then, I've had the same thought about Pershing MS near my house. Instead, they are the anodyne but alliterative Pandas.
And Welch MS should, of course, be the Fusiliers! Now THAT would have been really cool!
Serious football fans might make a case that "Texans" is the most offensive name of all.
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04-15-2014 04:54 PM |
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gsloth
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RE: OT - new nicknames for Lamar and Westbury
I don't think I have to worry about having changes in my county (though I don't think any future schools are going to be named such). They build middle and high school pairs (collocated), and for the first two they drew on history and called them:
Stonewall Jackson Middle School Rebels
Lee-Davis High School Confederates (as in Robert E. and Jefferson)
Liberty Middle School Eagles
Patrick Henry High School Patriots
Pretty certain they added on the middle schools after the high schools were around for a bit, once the population grew to support it. I think they'll have a tough time renaming those (particularly the former) any time soon. This is an area that "embraces" its history.
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04-15-2014 07:46 PM |
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Barrett
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RE: OT - new nicknames for Lamar and Westbury
Yeah, I'll always be a St. John's Rebel. Mavericks does absolutely nothing for me. But there are more pressing concerns in life, I suppose.
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04-15-2014 09:55 PM |
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West U Rice Fan
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RE: OT - new nicknames for Lamar and Westbury
Actually the plan at this morning's HISD Board meeting was to change the name to the Lamar Texians -- a term used by the second President of the Republic of Texas, Mirabeau B. Lamar, to promote the spirit of Texas as an independent nation.
The Board changed the consensus decision by the school leaders and the HISD staff because they thought Texian was confusing and did not roll off the tongue.
As it relates to the name Rebels: If I were black I would be offended to have my school honor through mascot status a symbol that is identified with the institution of slavery.
My teenagers go to St. Johns and they inform me that name change at St. Johns was initialed by the student body, not alumni or school staff. That seems like a proper way for changes like this to evolve.
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04-15-2014 10:14 PM |
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75src
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RE: OT - new nicknames for Lamar and Westbury
I am a Westbury Rebel Class of 1971 and I reject what Westbury has become another failed urban school instead of one of the best. Instead of Huskies, they should have tried something more politically correct such as Maggots, Leeches or Ticks which are spineless parasites like the so called liberals or progressives. At least, they have not yet renamed Albert Sidney Johnston Junior High because they are ashamed of the highest ranking general to fall in the War Between the States.
Always a Westbury Rebel because I went when the high school was worthwhile.
About Lamar, I asked a Cherokee friend about it and she said the renaming was ridiculous because they had always been the Indians. She had gone to Reagan High, was a gym coach at HISD schools and retired after being in charge of Delmar Stadium.
(04-15-2014 03:33 PM)loki_the_bubba Wrote: It's a sad day. I'll always be a Westbury Rebel.
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04-16-2014 01:18 AM |
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75src
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RE: OT - new nicknames for Lamar and Westbury
The original mascot name and colors for Westbury were probably derived from someone who liked the scheme for Old Miss. Westbury had changed to a generic Rebel without any reference to the Confederacy. Old Miss changed their mascot from Colonel Reb to a Bear to honor Faulkner's The Bear which would have suited me better because I had first heard about the Bear from an English teacher in class at Westbury who liked Faulkner (almost as much as Dowden at Rice liked Faulkner).
(04-15-2014 03:37 PM)RiceLad15 Wrote: (04-15-2014 03:29 PM)Fort Bend Owl Wrote: HISD changed the names of four high school and middle schools today because they were racially insensitive. Lamar (formerly the Redskins) is going to be the Lamar Texans. Westbury (formerly the Rebels) becomes the Westbury Huskies. Welch Middle School (formerly the Warriors) becomes the Welch Wolf Pack. And Hamilton Middle School (formerly the Indians) also becomes the Hamilton Huskies (hey it's hard coming up with new acceptable nicknames and HISD actually had to come up with four of them!).
The only name I think is fine is Lamar's new name. What is insensitive about the nickname the Warriors?
I don't really get the issue with the Warriors or the Rebels, so long as the physical depiction of both weren't a cartoonish Indian chief or a Southern soldier. The Golden State Warriors are an example of a completely sanitized, sensitive, yet not to the point of absurd, team that uses Warriors as a nickname. You might have a harder time with the Rebel one, but hey, could have gone the Ole Miss route and tried to get Admiral Ackbar to be the mascot.
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04-16-2014 01:25 AM |
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JustAnotherAustinOwl
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RE: OT - new nicknames for Lamar and Westbury
(04-16-2014 01:18 AM)75src Wrote: spineless parasites like the so called liberals or progressives.
Wow, and we wonder why our politics have become so divisive. Maybe if we could debate issues without going to hate-filled, venomous, ad hominem attacks as a first resort. Nobody else had even made this partisan until your comment.
Sorry, but schools named after confederate generals, mascots alluding to the confederacy, etc. are simply inappropriate IMHO.
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04-16-2014 07:44 AM |
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Rick Gerlach
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RE: OT - new nicknames for Lamar and Westbury
(04-16-2014 07:44 AM)JustAnotherAustinOwl Wrote: (04-16-2014 01:18 AM)75src Wrote: spineless parasites like the so called liberals or progressives.
Wow, and we wonder why our politics have become so divisive. Maybe if we could debate issues without going to hate-filled, venomous, ad hominem attacks as a first resort. Nobody else had even made this partisan until your comment.
Sorry, but schools named after confederate generals, mascots alluding to the confederacy, etc. are simply inappropriate IMHO.
Maybe mascots are an issue. Blacklisting Confederate generals, most of whom were West Point graduates and fought in other campaigns with the U.S. Army, seems like painting with a very, very broad brush.
Getting rid of schools named after N.B. Forrest (a Confederate General) is appropriate, given his post-Civil War ties.
But equating all Confederate generals with someone akin to Forrest's history is grossly distorting, IMHO.
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04-16-2014 08:02 AM |
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JustAnotherAustinOwl
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RE: OT - new nicknames for Lamar and Westbury
(04-16-2014 08:02 AM)Rick Gerlach Wrote: (04-16-2014 07:44 AM)JustAnotherAustinOwl Wrote: (04-16-2014 01:18 AM)75src Wrote: spineless parasites like the so called liberals or progressives.
Wow, and we wonder why our politics have become so divisive. Maybe if we could debate issues without going to hate-filled, venomous, ad hominem attacks as a first resort. Nobody else had even made this partisan until your comment.
Sorry, but schools named after confederate generals, mascots alluding to the confederacy, etc. are simply inappropriate IMHO.
Maybe mascots are an issue. Blacklisting Confederate generals, most of whom were West Point graduates and fought in other campaigns with the U.S. Army, seems like painting with a very, very broad brush.
Getting rid of schools named after N.B. Forrest (a Confederate General) is appropriate, given his post-Civil War ties.
But equating all Confederate generals with someone akin to Forrest's history is grossly distorting, IMHO.
I see where you are coming from, and get that most historical figures have a dark side. I'd just argue that the fact that we are debating it means it probably wasn't a good idea. Especially since most schools named like that weren't named recently in the spirit of examining the complexities of history which don't always lend themselves to clear cut "good guys" and "bad guys" but were named during the Jim Crow days and reflected attitudes I doubt any here would want to defend.
And I'll admit as a non-southerner I simply don't understand the South's inability to move on. When I first moved to the South in the early 80's I was completely blown away by the fact that people talked about the Civil War as if it was a recent occurrence and not something that happened over a 100 (now nearly 150) years ago...
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04-16-2014 08:39 AM |
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Tiki Owl
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RE: OT - new nicknames for Lamar and Westbury
(04-16-2014 07:44 AM)JustAnotherAustinOwl Wrote: (04-16-2014 01:18 AM)75src Wrote: spineless parasites like the so called liberals or progressives.
Wow, and we wonder why our politics have become so divisive. Maybe if we could debate issues without going to hate-filled, venomous, ad hominem attacks as a first resort. Nobody else had even made this partisan until your comment.
+1
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04-16-2014 08:53 AM |
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13thOwl
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RE: OT - new nicknames for Lamar and Westbury
(04-16-2014 08:39 AM)JustAnotherAustinOwl Wrote: (04-16-2014 08:02 AM)Rick Gerlach Wrote: (04-16-2014 07:44 AM)JustAnotherAustinOwl Wrote: (04-16-2014 01:18 AM)75src Wrote: spineless parasites like the so called liberals or progressives.
Wow, and we wonder why our politics have become so divisive. Maybe if we could debate issues without going to hate-filled, venomous, ad hominem attacks as a first resort. Nobody else had even made this partisan until your comment.
Sorry, but schools named after confederate generals, mascots alluding to the confederacy, etc. are simply inappropriate IMHO.
Maybe mascots are an issue. Blacklisting Confederate generals, most of whom were West Point graduates and fought in other campaigns with the U.S. Army, seems like painting with a very, very broad brush.
Getting rid of schools named after N.B. Forrest (a Confederate General) is appropriate, given his post-Civil War ties.
But equating all Confederate generals with someone akin to Forrest's history is grossly distorting, IMHO.
I see where you are coming from, and get that most historical figures have a dark side. I'd just argue that the fact that we are debating it means it probably wasn't a good idea. Especially since most schools named like that weren't named recently in the spirit of examining the complexities of history which don't always lend themselves to clear cut "good guys" and "bad guys" but were named during the Jim Crow days and reflected attitudes I doubt any here would want to defend.
And I'll admit as a non-southerner I simply don't understand the South's inability to move on. When I first moved to the South in the early 80's I was completely blown away by the fact that people talked about the Civil War as if it was a recent occurrence and not something that happened over a 100 (now nearly 150) years ago...
[cough] I believe you mean the war of northern aggression...
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04-16-2014 09:10 AM |
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13thOwl
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RE: OT - new nicknames for Lamar and Westbury
(04-15-2014 04:54 PM)georgewebb Wrote: (04-15-2014 03:37 PM)RiceLad15 Wrote: (04-15-2014 03:29 PM)Fort Bend Owl Wrote: HISD changed the names of four high school and middle schools today because they were racially insensitive. Lamar (formerly the Redskins) is going to be the Lamar Texans. Westbury (formerly the Rebels) becomes the Westbury Huskies. Welch Middle School (formerly the Warriors) becomes the Welch Wolf Pack. And Hamilton Middle School (formerly the Indians) also becomes the Hamilton Huskies (hey it's hard coming up with new acceptable nicknames and HISD actually had to come up with four of them!).
The only name I think is fine is Lamar's new name. What is insensitive about the nickname the Warriors?
I don't really get the issue with the Warriors or the Rebels, so long as the physical depiction of both weren't a cartoonish Indian chief or a Southern soldier. The Golden State Warriors are an example of a completely sanitized, sensitive, yet not to the point of absurd, team that uses Warriors as a nickname. You might have a harder time with the Rebel one, but hey, could have gone the Ole Miss route and tried to get Admiral Ackbar to be the mascot.
"Warriors" is definitely a cool name, and general enough that there would seem to be no need to change it.
I agree that "Rebels" is also reasonably general -- but also kinda dumb, in that being a general "rebel" doesn't seem very inspiring. It's about like being the "Troublemakers".
Hamilton MS (presumably named after Alexander Hamilton) could readily have been the Generals. But then, I've had the same thought about Pershing MS near my house. Instead, they are the anodyne but alliterative Pandas.
And Welch MS should, of course, be the Fusiliers! Now THAT would have been really cool!
Serious football fans might make a case that "Texans" is the most offensive name of all.
I would be down for a "Troublemakers" t-shirt! Hell ya! I feel sorry for the marching band that tries to spell that out at halftime, however.
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04-16-2014 09:15 AM |
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JSA
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RE: OT - new nicknames for Lamar and Westbury
(04-16-2014 09:10 AM)13thOwl Wrote: (04-16-2014 08:39 AM)JustAnotherAustinOwl Wrote: (04-16-2014 08:02 AM)Rick Gerlach Wrote: (04-16-2014 07:44 AM)JustAnotherAustinOwl Wrote: (04-16-2014 01:18 AM)75src Wrote: spineless parasites like the so called liberals or progressives.
Wow, and we wonder why our politics have become so divisive. Maybe if we could debate issues without going to hate-filled, venomous, ad hominem attacks as a first resort. Nobody else had even made this partisan until your comment.
Sorry, but schools named after confederate generals, mascots alluding to the confederacy, etc. are simply inappropriate IMHO.
Maybe mascots are an issue. Blacklisting Confederate generals, most of whom were West Point graduates and fought in other campaigns with the U.S. Army, seems like painting with a very, very broad brush.
Getting rid of schools named after N.B. Forrest (a Confederate General) is appropriate, given his post-Civil War ties.
But equating all Confederate generals with someone akin to Forrest's history is grossly distorting, IMHO.
I see where you are coming from, and get that most historical figures have a dark side. I'd just argue that the fact that we are debating it means it probably wasn't a good idea. Especially since most schools named like that weren't named recently in the spirit of examining the complexities of history which don't always lend themselves to clear cut "good guys" and "bad guys" but were named during the Jim Crow days and reflected attitudes I doubt any here would want to defend.
And I'll admit as a non-southerner I simply don't understand the South's inability to move on. When I first moved to the South in the early 80's I was completely blown away by the fact that people talked about the Civil War as if it was a recent occurrence and not something that happened over a 100 (now nearly 150) years ago...
[cough] I believe you mean the war of northern aggression...
We all know that Grant stole Lee's sword and Lee was too much of a gentleman to ask for it back.
I've been a Mustang, Bulldog, Yellow Jacket, Owl, Eagle, and Longhorn.
If any group feels offended by a name or mascot, I will not argue.
But as I've told before, when I lived in Washington in the early 80s I heard Russell Means interviewed on one of the local radio shows. With regard to the Redskins, he said he was flattered that the nation's capital wanted to honor Native Americans and that the logo was dignified. On the other hand, he said he wasn't too crazy about Chief Wahoo and Chief Noc-a-Homa.
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04-16-2014 10:21 AM |
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