MELROSE — At some point in the second half of the current academic year, those behind a push to change the Red Raider name at Melrose High hope to have something to recommend to the School Committee.
MHS Principal Jason Merrill was before the school board this week updating them on the process he began last summer when Merrill announced he and others felt it was time to call the school’s clubs and sports teams something else. Urging inclusion, change backers said the new name and “mascot” would have a connection to Melrose, the community and its history; would instill pride in the student body; work equally well for all school co-curricular activities; represent positive qualities, ideals and assocations; and be one that “people can feel good about.”
The so-called “MHS Mascot Project Process” began on September 2 when the group met for the first time. On October 5, the group created surveys for kids and the community to fill out to better gauge the sentiment of the community. Last month, members looked at the survey data and began to “identify criteria and narrow down choices with criteria in mind.” The group got back 600 responses from students and school staff, with 95 percent of them calling for something new.
Of the 1,140 responses from the community, however, a large portion urged keeping the Red Raider or Raider in some capacity.
The group is now asking for further community feedback and according to a timeline, hope to have a name and mascot recommendation ready in February.
A group opposed to changing the Red Raider name has formed and has said it will begin working to keep the tradition in place.
Back in July, the Melrose High principal announced the move to change the Melrose High name. He wrote:
“As some of you may know, I am a proud graduate of Melrose High School. I am also a resident of Melrose and have three children in the Melrose Public Schools. As the principal of Melrose High School, I have been given one of the greatest responsibilities in this city. Not a moment goes by on any given day that I am not thinking about our school community.
“That all being said, I want to share my thoughts on something that has been weighing on my mind for some time now. I believe that it is time for Melrose High School to move away from the “red raider” mascot. I want to be clear that our school community has taken admirable steps to move away from Native American imagery such as a Native American cartoon and eventually the dreamcatcher. Additionally, we know that the red raider has also been depicted as a viking, a bandit, and even has ties to a WWII fighter squadron. But, I simply cannot deny the connection between the red raider or raider and offensive Native American imagery.
“I understand that this will be hard for some of our school community to hear and that some may disagree with me. This decision is not based on other people’s thinking or agendas. I am making this decision because 5 years ago I signed a contract to take responsibility for what I consider the most important building and people in our city, and I think that this is right for our school. In 2016, I said that our #1 goal will be to create and sustain a welcome environment based on kindness and respect. That remains our #1 goal and it will be as long as I am here.
“We teach students to treat each other well. We talk about who came before them at MHS and what they stood for. We talk about hard work, teamwork, communication, and how to solve problems and persevere. But, most importantly, it always comes back to how you treat people.
“My objective will be to roll out a collaborative plan that includes our students and community in a process to phase out the red raider and identify a new mascot during the upcoming school year.
“We are Melrose. We wear red and white, and we always will,” his letter concluded.
Merrill’s move is in line with what has been happening around the state and the country. Among Middlesex League communities alone, Winchester got rid of the name Sachem, Watertown eliminated the word “Red” and Wakefield’s School Committee said no to the Warrior’s Native American imagery. In the latter case, a non-binding referendum question saw a substantial majority of voters still in favor of keeping some form of the imagery and Warrior name.
A state bill would eliminate all Native American names and images throughout the Commonwealth.
