Rutland Secondary School (RSS) students have voiced dissatisfaction with 鈥楾he Voodoo鈥� school mascot and Voodoo team name, leading school officials to embark on a process to find a replacement.
RSS principal Hugh Alexander says students first approached him about the Voodoo mascot and team name as being inappropriate prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The idea to make a change was put aside while the school dealt with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, but in the aftermath of that, the issue was revived again by students.
鈥淭hose voices became louder and louder to the point where we had to do something about it,鈥� Alexander said.
鈥淭his has been student-driven from the start, and they have educated me about this.鈥�
To make their point, students also produced a video explaining the history behind the Voodoo name and their pitch for making a change.
Alexander said he will make a presentation about the issue at the upcoming RSS Parent Advisory Meeting and the board of education has been made aware of the situation.
He says a process to find a new mascot and team name will involve participation from students, staff and alumni to gain input, with the goal of creating a new mascot and team name that is representative of the school community.
It is no small task given the Voodoo logo is plastered all over the school, from the gymnasium floor and wall painting references of a Voodoo jet, to throughout the school.
Alexander noted there will be no change in the school colours.
鈥淚t is an adaptive challenge at this point as we have no solution yet. We will see how things play out and where the feedback takes us,鈥� he said.
鈥淪o it is up in the air at this point but at the same time my hope is students will be happy with the end result and what change is made will be something representative of our school community.鈥�
The Voodoo team name has been preceded by other team names at the school, and Alexander acknowledges some alumni may not be happy about this latest name change proposal.
But while some current students, staff and alumni may have an emotional attachment to the Voodoo name, he says ultimately the students drive the conversation for change.
