Radnor Mascot Rebranding Committee Named

RADNOR TOWNSHIP, PA — Radnor High School has taken another step toward replacing its old mascot and finding a new one, naming members of a committee to come up with a new mascot.

The Mascot Selection and Rebranding Project was created after a Sept. 3, 2020 vote by the RTSD School Board to retire Radnor High School's previous name and mascot, "Raiders," and all related Native American imagery from the district.

The conversation surrounding the appropriateness of the Raiders name and mascot has been ongoing since at least 2006. After heated discussion and passionate expressions both for keeping the Raiders name and imagery, and for discarding it, the board chose to leave the Raiders behind.

The RTSD School Board vote to retire the "Raiders" name and mascot included setting aside all associated Native American imagery from Radnor Township School District and its schools, in order "to foster a fully inclusive community and after listening to extensive community and student comments," a district statement said. The Sept. 2 meeting can be viewed here.

The committee named on Feb. 19 is tasked with collecting and analyzing information gathered from multiple sources, and then with developing options for a mascot and name. The project includes opportunities for input from all stakeholders through a survey, focus groups, and an ultimate vote by 8th-12th grade students at Radnor middle and high schools.

The committee's RHS mascot and name proposal is expected to be on the school board's agenda for its June meeting, the district said.

Student Mascot Selection and Rebranding Committee Members are: Ellie Davis, RHS student; Sheila Esgro, RHS student; Ben Hart, RHS student; Margot Johnson, RHS student; Courtney Kearns, RHS student; Tessa Klimowicz, RHS student; Mohen Li, RHS student; Isabella "Izzy" Lo, RHS student; Patrick Lovenguth, RHS student; Minnie Madden, RHS student; Catherine "Cackie" Martin, RHS student; Mark McKeon, RHS student; Megan Miller, RHS student; Zach Parrish, RHS student; Pablo Strid, RHS student; Sebastian Stueck, RHS student; Jake Van Horn, RHS student; Kelsey Wakiyama, RHS student; Hunny Witthoeft, RHS student; Ryan Donoghue, RMS student; and Maly Lindgren, RMS student.

Other Mascot Selection and Rebranding Committee Members are: Kyle Addis, Alumni; Patricia Balachandran, parent of current student(s); Rishtee Batra, parent of current student(s); Carolyn Belveal, parent of current and former student(s); Kian Bina, Alumni; Amanda Castilleja, parent of former student(s); Patricia (Gallagher) Corcoran, Alumni; Rick Eckstein, parent of former student(s), former RTSD staff Member; Mike Falcone, Alumni; Carter Fisher, Alumni, parent of former student(s); Kevin Geary, parent of current student(s); Hashim Ghumman, Alumni; Patricia Lee, Alumni, former RTSD staff member; Paul Mallory, Alumni; Andrea McMenamin, Alumni, current RTSD staff member; Sharon Reardon, Alumni, current RTSD staff member, parent of former student(s); Tori Robinson, Alumni, parent of current and former student(s); Carl Rosin, current RTSD staff member, parent of former student(s); and Clare South, parent of current student(s).

In a meeting last fall school board member Liz Duffy referenced a recent similar discussion concerning a school's mascot at a neighboring district. She said an element of that conversation resonated with her: "There are three things a mascot must do: it must do no harm, it must tell a story about the community, and it must be a symbol for all the community to rally around. I think this is an opportunity for a fresh start and I want to turn the page and be excited and as great as we can be."

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