By MICHELLE KU
When students return to Fremont High School Sept. 3, they will do so as the Fremont Firebirds, not as the Fremont Indians
They'll also find that the school has been de-Indianized--all of the logos sporting the former mascot have been removed. That includes the conspicuous arrow and Indian that was painted on the side of the gym, a gift from the class of 1991.
The school board voted last year to change mascots as of July 1. Some students and residents objected to the Indian mascot, saying it was demeaning to American Indians.
With the controversy over changing the school mascot over and done with, attention is now being focused on choosing a design to represent the Fremont Firebirds and replacing the painting on the gym wall.
"The community and the school gain from having something on the wall," said Paula Bassett, a 1991 Fremont High graduate.
Before students left school in June, they were told a design for the new mascot would be ready for them to see on the first day of school, but the design will not be chosen before the beginning of the academic year. Assistant Principal Peggy Raun-Linde said the design would probably be chosen two or three weeks into the academic year.
"We've looked at a lot of designs, and it's been a real struggle," said Principal Pete Tuana. "In real earnest, we don't have a real design yet. We had thought that we got pretty close. We want everybody's input on it before we slam one down everyone's throats."
The administration wants a mascot representative of the students and the school.
For inspiration, the high school has looked at the logos for the two professional sports teams with Firebirds as their mascot--the Phoenix Firebirds and the Akron Firebirds.
"We really want something that will represent the school. We don't want something that is necessarily hawkish," Tuana said. "We want a logo with stature and dignity. We're looking for a logo with a happy balance."
When the design for the new mascot is finally chosen, a version of the design will most likely be painted up on the wall of the gym, said Associate Superintendent Joe Hamilton.
Not only will the arrow be replaced, but the new painting of the Firebird mascot will be put up in the name of the Class of 1991 because the original painting was a class gift.
"If [something] does go up there, we want people to realize that [the class of 1991] contributed to it," Bassett said. "But, people that I spoke with actually were not thrilled with having 'Class of 1991' written under the Firebird logo. We did graduate as Indians."
Administrators from the district office agree that something else should be put up in the name of the Class of 1991.
"Since it was a class gift, we asked them whether they felt it was OK if we took the Indian down and put something else of equal value up since they're no longer the Indians," Hamilton said. "The general consensus of those who were asked was that it was fine. It was considered a good idea."
Raun-Linde conducted the informal survey, sending mailings to the last known addresses of the members of the Class of 1991. Of the approximately 300 members of the class, Raun-Linde received 60 responses.
"I was pretty pleased, to be real honest," Raun-Linde said. "When you're talking about getting 60 back from a class of approximately 300 who graduated five years ago, that's pretty good."
Of the responses she received, 57 people said they wanted a new painting to go up in honor of the Class of 1991, two people said they would rather the money be used for another class gift and one person was undecided.
Bassett believes that it's a matter of pride in having something up on the wall of the gym.
"A reason why it's such a big deal about the wall and everything is that we were the first school [in the area] to have it [a logo on the side of the school]," Bassett said. "Other schools called and asked us about it, and now we don't have it anymore."
This article appeared in the Sunnyvale Sun, August 21, 1996.
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