Mascot selection committee for Pocatello High School asking for your input with new survey
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POCATELLO – It’s been more than a month since the Pocatello/Chubbuck School District 25 board voted to retire the Indian as Pocatello High School’s mascot and the process to select a new one is already underway.
More than 185 suggestions have been submitted over the last month. A committee made up of alumni, parents, coaches, teachers and community members carefully narrowed the suggestions down to nine and they’re asking for your input in an advisory survey.
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The nine suggestions for the new mascot include bison, eagles, falcons, mountain lions, mustangs, phantoms, stampede, thunder and wolves.
Committee members agreed on certain criteria to use in narrowing down the suggestions. Among the criteria are consideration of any possible positive tie-in to the former Indian mascot along with any potential negative aspects of each suggestion, eliminating any reference to a group of people, using animal submissions that are native to eastern Idaho, making sure a mascot is a concrete object rather than an abstract idea and preserving any well-loved mottos and phrases that are part of the school’s history without diminishing any positive impact.
A news release from the school district indicates committee members provided input for each submission based on the approved criteria. Members of student government have now been assigned a mascot to promote to “help voters envision how each of the mascot options could be implemented.”
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The results of the survey are not binding, but will be used as a reference in making a final recommendation to the school board during a work session on Nov. 10. A final decision for the new mascot will potentially be made during the regular board meeting on Nov. 17.
The current mascot is still in effect. It will not be retired until the end of the school year in June.
To take the survey, click here.