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Group seeking  to retire ‘Braves’ mascot proposes task force

Coalition for a New Talawada Mascot presents proposal  to school board.

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By Meagan Engle, Staff Writer 9:25 AM Thursday, March 18, 2010

OXFORD — A group working to retire Talawanda schools’ “Braves” mascot and blue and red American Indian symbol asked the school board this week to form a special task force to study the issue.

Representatives of the Coalition for a New Talawanda Mascot handed a proposal for the task force to school board members at their meeting Monday, March 15.

The task force would study “the physiological and educational ramifications of using an American Indian mascot in our non-Indian school district,” according to the group’s written proposal.

Several community leaders, teachers and students came prepared to speak for changing the mascot, which they say would be appropriately timed as the district moves into a new high school.

Jan Miller, president of Oxford’s NAACP, said the American Indian is “spiritual, it’s not Hollywood.”

The mascot is “a negative stereotype. It shows disrespect,” she said.

Student Sara Smith spoke with eight of her peers standing behind her. She shared her grandparent’s ancestry and the hurt she feels when she sees students mimmicking American Indian dances at sporting events.

“If Talawanda were not the Braves, students would not be making fun of Native American dancing,” she said. “Stereotyping is wrong. Using this mascot allows others to think it’s OK.”

Second-grade teacher and athletic booster Patti Stone said the loyalty people feel to Talawanda wouldn’t change if the mascot was changed.

“I am not supporting a mascot, I’m supporting a school,” she said.

One person did speak for keeping the mascot, but with no others prepared to defend the Braves, board president Darrell Smith ended public comments on the issue after about 30 minutes.

“We only heard from one side of the community tonight,” he said, reserving his own feelings on the issue so as not to speak for the entire school board.

“It’s a tough issue to deal with,” said Smith, who attended Talawanda schools.

Smith said the school board was handed the proposal for the task force Monday, so had not yet had a chance to discuss the idea.

He said he first learned of the campaign to change the mascot on the local television news, not by being approached as a board member.

Board members did not speak on the matter during the meeting.

Smith said they will likely talk about it individually over phone calls and e-mails, and could schedule a special session in the future to discuss it together.

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