Morris High School board to decide new mascot Monday

Morris Community High School District 101 Superintendent Craig Ortiz joked Monday that nobody can accuse the school board of rushing its decision on a new mascot when the group decided it would make a choice between the Riverhawks and the Mustangs at 6 p.m. Monday at 1000 Union St.

These two finalists were decided via a poll of all students and faculty, with Mustangs finishing as the top choice among students and Riverhawks finishing as the top choice among faculty. Riverhawks received the most third-place votes among students, and the Mustangs finished in second place among the faculty.

The board initially mulled over pushing the decision to January, when it’ll be required to make a decision, but making the decision in December gives the school time to gather design ideas for jerseys and logos.

The football team already is expected to receive new uniforms for next season, and the former mascot has to be removed entirely from the school by 2025.

The decision came after some deliberation as to whether or not next week was the time to take action, but members of the board eventually agreed with Lynn Vermillion and Scot Hastings.

Vermillion said she believes that the board is overthinking the decision, while Hastings said they have to make a decision eventually.

“We’ve talked for four, six years,” Hastings said. “Every time it comes up, it’s in the paper and it’s on the radio. We get slammed all over the place. I don’t know. It’s time we rip off the bandage.”

Hastings said there are two positives with each name: Mustangs begin with an M, and much of the branding since moving away from the old mascot is a maroon “M,” while Riverhawks have feathers.

There still are plenty of Morris High School-branded items that have a feather after the school moved away from using its former logo.

The next meeting takes place at 1000 Union St. in the Art Annex building.