The regular meeting of the school board convened on Monday, Aug. 16. After quickly going through the usual administrative business, the board came to the Open Forum, the part of the meeting that allows parents and other interested parties to express an opinion or bring matters to the attention of the board.
Part of the business was the approval of student driving permits for two girls. One girl had not attained the age of 15 but she was tentatively approved, pending her birthday.
A concerned parent named Jim Wood addressed the board on the subject of the sports logo and potential mascot for the Nishnabotna Blue Devils. Wood addressed the board from the Farragut School District by way of the TVI, or “True Vision Instruction” system.
Wood had taken it upon himself to have a “Blue Devils” logo designed for hats and sportswear, and he presented this to the board over the network. The board thanked Wood for his presentation and then went on with the routine business of starting a new school year.
Board members discussed the hiring of teachers and custodians and approved bids and contracts for milk, bread, and other food items. The purchase of a van was discussed. Open enrollment of Kenna Nennermann was approved.
Then the board turned back to the question of the sports logo.
No one at the meeting wanted to dwell on the events that had resulted in the students being called the “Blue Devils” in the first place. In fact, one board member commented that everyone’s life would have been much easier if they had called them the “Mud Ducks.”
From the beginning, any logo, image, or impression that demonstrated any association with a devil offended a number of school patrons, and this hue and cry was picked up by many who thought that raising children was difficult enough without adding anything devilish to the mix.
Others thought that it was only a logo, not a social statement. They saw a little humor in a logo that would be impish and perhaps cute, not demonic.
Finally the decision rested on the shoulders of the board. There were long minutes of discussion, coupled with the certainty that they had to come up with some kind of decision on the matter. One image had been submitted showing a devil caught in the swirl of a tornado, only its pointy tail and horns showing. It was suggested as a compromise, but some thought it was too devilish still, while others thought it was too “cartoonish” for the tastes of the older students.
Finally, a lettered image showing a large “N” for Nishnabotna with a “BD” superimposed on it for “Blue Devils” was voted on and accepted “as something that didn’t step on too many toes.”
Some thought the letter “N” was too reminiscent of the University of Nebraska “N.”
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The regular meeting of the school board convened on Monday, Aug. 16. After quickly going through the usual administrative business, the board came to the Open Forum, the part of the meeting that allows parents and other interested parties to express an opinion or bring matters to the attention of the board.
Part of the business was the approval of student driving permits for two girls. One girl had not attained the age of 15 but she was tentatively approved, pending her birthday.
A concerned parent named Jim Wood addressed the board on the subject of the sports logo and potential mascot for the Nishnabotna Blue Devils. Wood addressed the board from the Farragut School District by way of the TVI, or “True Vision Instruction” system.
Wood had taken it upon himself to have a “Blue Devils” logo designed for hats and sportswear, and he presented this to the board over the network. The board thanked Wood for his presentation and then went on with the routine business of starting a new school year.
Board members discussed the hiring of teachers and custodians and approved bids and contracts for milk, bread, and other food items. The purchase of a van was discussed. Open enrollment of Kenna Nennermann was approved.
Then the board turned back to the question of the sports logo.
No one at the meeting wanted to dwell on the events that had resulted in the students being called the “Blue Devils” in the first place. In fact, one board member commented that everyone’s life would have been much easier if they had called them the “Mud Ducks.”
From the beginning, any logo, image, or impression that demonstrated any association with a devil offended a number of school patrons, and this hue and cry was picked up by many who thought that raising children was difficult enough without adding anything devilish to the mix.
Others thought that it was only a logo, not a social statement. They saw a little humor in a logo that would be impish and perhaps cute, not demonic.
Finally the decision rested on the shoulders of the board. There were long minutes of discussion, coupled with the certainty that they had to come up with some kind of decision on the matter. One image had been submitted showing a devil caught in the swirl of a tornado, only its pointy tail and horns showing. It was suggested as a compromise, but some thought it was too devilish still, while others thought it was too “cartoonish” for the tastes of the older students.
Finally, a lettered image showing a large “N” for Nishnabotna with a “BD” superimposed on it for “Blue Devils” was voted on and accepted “as something that didn’t step on too many toes.”
Some thought the letter “N” was too reminiscent of the University of Nebraska “N.”
