Carmel High School is reconsidering its mascot in this current reckoning over racial justice. A group of current and former students at Carmel High School wants to change the mascot, a cartoon Catholic friar called Padre. This week, Carmel’s school board announced it intends to establish a committee to discuss the issue.
Emily Robinson, class of 2011, is one of more than 2,000 alumni and students who signed a petition to change the school’s mascot. The Padre reflects the Spanish history of the Carmel Mission, and some say it ignores the violent treatment of Native Americans.
Robinson said the call to change the Padre mascot is part of broader conversation going on around the country about how history is framed.
“What are the things that we have held up as icons, as sacred? Are those sacred to everyone or are they glorifying something that shouldn’t be glorified?” Robinson said.
The mascot has been part of the school for almost 80 years, and not everyone thinks changing it is a good idea. There’s a counter-petition, and many of the nearly 800 people who signed it say changing the Padre would abandon tradition for the sake of political correctness.
“To me, they’re taking away history, tradition and basically legacies,” said Mike Scardina, a graduate of the class of 1999, who started the counter-petition.
The decision to change the Carmel High School mascot, and potentially pick a new one, is ultimately up to the Carmel Unified School Board of Education. Board President Karl Pallastrini said the district is willing to explore changing the Padre mascot, but the top priority is making sure schools are able to safely reopen amid the coronavirus pandemic….
The above comes from a July 23 story on kazu.org.
Will they be changing the name of the school and town if they learn a little history?
Let’s see Mount Carmel, Our Lady of Mount Carmel, the Carmelites, Elijah the Prophet and Saint Sharbel (pray for us, especially on your feast day today!)
The Carmel “High” School Progenitors would be less Hispanic, patriarchal and historical. As would the “Virtue Signalers.”
Since Carmel is 93 percent white, “Privileged Whites” could work.
Or, they could follow the example of “the Washington Football Team” (formerly known as the Washington Redskins, a non-offensive name according to 90 percent of Native Americans surveyed) and simply be “Carmel High School Students.” That might be best.
I think of them as The Washington Thinskins, but heard a better one:
The Washington Possums – Play dead at home, get killed on the road. :)
Change the mascot to a rainbow and call themselves the Queers. After all, I think queer mascots are underrepresented in high schools. Do the woke Carmel students and alumni really want to be woke, or are they just virtue signaling in a safe way?
Growing up in the 1950’s, there was a very
popular advertising jingle:
“Oh I want to be an Oscar Meyer wiener ….”
take it from there
Well said Anonymous Clergyman!
Absolute nonsense – have a hearing on the life of Serra then decide
The radicals are destroying our nation any removal of our traditions is Aiding the radicals
Robert Lockwood, I agree that change is in the air. Tell me, however, what in our nation is being destroyed and which traditions are being removed is aiding the radicals. I ask because I think it is important to go beyond dog whistles and be specific. For example, do you think the removal of Confederate monuments that idealize the nation’s traitors is a bad thing? Or, is ensuring that equal amounts of money are given to all schools, even if they are in poor or minority neighborhoods? Do you think that asking people to practice good virus protection is aiding the radicals? I might agree with your concerns if I knew what they were.
Easy solution…change sign to “Not proud to be Padres”until the PC weenies graduate then change sign back to proud when the normies come along, as they always do in the end. Some generations you’ve just got to hold your nose til they’ve passed through.
New mascot: The Carmel Social Constructs.
How about the Carmel HIgh School “Fingers in the Wind?”
Although it seems the “Wokesters” often utilize only one of their fingers.
The Carmel “Boutiques?” The Carmel Fog? “Snowflakes?” Naw.
The Carmel Socialites? (Though that could get mixed up with Socialists.)
The Carmel Democrats (“Cancel” Clint Eastwood.)
The Karmel Kaepernicks
The Carmel Codependents (no Offense taken)
The Carmel Egalitarians (every game a tie)
The Carmel Conquistadors (mas macho, albeit culturally appropriative)
The Carmel Madres (they’re real mothers)
Hello,
No matter anyone’s opinion why are people answering in such insulting ways? Isn’t this a Catholic website? Good way to walk the walk?
Legitimate question. Here’s one for you then N: Are you saying that satire is never appropriate?
Were Chesterton and other Catholics who’ve used satire sinning?
The point of the barbs above seems to be to point out the absurdity of what the Carmel school is considering.
Yet, the appropriate, ethical and Christian use of satire should be seriously considered (and such should be resisted when inappropriate).
If you can’t have fun in a pandemic, when can you?
Flash:
Carmel Unified School District has affirmed
that “Keeping Up with the Times” is the
highest value in the Universe.
Consequently the School’s mascot name
is henceforth REQUIRED to be changed
WEEKLY. Term Limits for Mascots !!