Radnor Students Will Choose A School Nickname From 4 Finalists

RADNOR TOWNSHIP, PA — A survey of students in grades 8-12 narrowed options to four in the quest for a new name and logo to represent Radnor Middle and High schools, and more than one-third of students surveyed chose "Raptors" from among eight options.

Griffins or Gryphons was favored in many categories in a focus group survey. Students and focus group members evaluated factors like whether the proposed name "exudes positive qualities," "promotes school pride and generates excitement," "honors Radnor history and traditions," "reflects the values and standards of Radnor Township School District," "represents all stakeholders," and if it "aligns with the school colors of maroon and white and translates to (an) identifiable brand."

After gathering the results, Radnor Township School District announced four finalists in the Mascot Selection and Rebranding Project.

The finalists are Griffins/Gryphons, "R" for Radnor, Raptors, and Ruckus. The Committee voted on June 2 to help determine three of the final four: Griffins/Gryphons (by a 17-14 vote); “R” for Radnor (22-8), and Ruckus (18-13). Raptors was added by the district administration as a result of the student survey, where more than a third of the respondents listed Raptors as their top new nickname option. Read more about the rebranding committee here.

The decision to rebrand came after a Sept. 2, 2020 vote of the RTSD School Board to remove Radnor High School's past nickname and mascot, Raiders, along with its related Native American imagery. Read Pathc's report on that decision here.

About 600 students in grades 8-12 gave input on a previous eight new nickname options through a survey given at school the week of May 24. Community members, parents, and alumni provided feedback during focus group sessions on April 22 and 23.

The final four will undergo two rounds of voting by students. The first round will reduce the four new nickname options to two, the District said. The second round will reduce the two options to the final new nickname recommendation for the RTSD School Board to review and approve.

Click here for the quantitative results of the student survey. Click here for the quantitative results of the survey conducted with focus group participants on April 22. Click here for the quantitative results of the survey conducted with focus group participants on April 23.

Learn more about the mascot selection and rebranding process here.

Make sure you know what's happening in your town. Sign up to get Patch emails and don't miss any local news: https://patch.com/subscribe.