By JULIE CUNNINGHAM
(Athol, MA) Athol High School has a new logo for anyone who wants to ‘grin and bear it.’ The old ‘Red Raider’ mascot was changed last night, March 17, to a new bears logo by the school committee. The community was invited to the discussion, said Massachusetts State Representative Susannah Whipps.
“Now is the time to show current and future students about school pride and community pride and help them create and build a sense of pride for their new mascot,” said Whipps on her social media today.
Two petitions were presented to the School Committee, one to remove the mascot and one to keep the ‘red raider’ mascot. The public had an opportunity to comment during the meeting. An argument was made to modify the logo to represent just the raider without the red coloring that was seen as blood. Both a bear and a raven were presented as alternatives. In the end, the bear was accepted as the new mascot for Athol High School due to the local significance of places like Bearsden Road and Bearsden Conservation Area.