Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
CEDAR CITY — Cedar High School students have selected Reds as the school's new mascot after the Iron County School Board voted in February to "respectfully retire" its longtime Redmen mascot.
Reds was selected among nine options, which included Titans, Aggies, Iron Wolves, Iron Miners, Tribe, Ranchers, Rockies and Royals.
Iron County School District Superintendent Shannon Delaney said the transition team was tasked by the school board to develop options that sustain "what Cedar High stands for and has stood for almost 73 years," strength, honor, courage, excellence and unity.
The team, made up of students, faculty, staff and alumni, also sought "to honor traditions while securing the future," according to a district press release.
Reds resonated with the students "because the women’s teams have used Lady Reds as their moniker for many, many years. They’ve used that term Reds on uniforms over the past and they (students) wanted to hold on to that as one of the options. It did result in being the most popular when it was taken to student vote," Delaney said.
The school community also talked about the red mountains of southern Utah, she said.
"You look out our windows and that’s what you see. Again, (it's) that tradition and letting the community know we want to hold on to that tradition," Delaney said.
"Reds, it’s not a mascot. It truly is an identity," she said.
The next step is for Cedar High student leaders and administrators to meet with a professional branding agency to guide the students through the process of creating a mascot for the school. That will happen immediately after the district's spring break, which is next week, she said.
The images developed by the branding firm will also be put to a vote of the students, Delaney said.
The transition team has asked that Cedar High's school colors and other elements that reflect the school’s traditions and heritage be preserved.
“The Cedar High community is well on its way to finding its own voice in this process, and the students feel empowered with opportunity to design a new mascot,” the press release states.
Throughout the process of reviewing the Redmen mascot, the school board vote to retire it and the work of the transition team, the board and district administrators have strived to approach the issue with dignity and respect, Delaney said.
"It was very deliberate and thoughtful and we knew it had to be," she said.
While selecting a mascot for a new school presents challenges, retiring a mascot in place since the 1940s and picking a replacement is "a whole other level," Delaney said.
"You're dealing with history, tradition, alumni and feelings and emotions. Yes, it is a whole different process.”
