Clinton, MI – Clinton Community Schools has announced the selection of their new mascot. Beginning in the 2021-22 school year they will be known as the Clinton Redwolves.
This new moniker will replace the longstanding Redskins mascot, which will be respectfully retired at the end of the current school year (2020-21). To come to this decision the district went through a lengthy process that involved community feedback, student input, and an internal faculty-based administrative committee. The school also sought input from alumni for suggestions regarding the retirement of the Redskins mascot.
The process was conducted in four phases:
Phase I was an initial feedback survey available to all community members asking for potential mascot names. Each respondent was allowed to submit 3 names. There were 236 individual survey responses, with 194 unique mascots suggested.
Phase II was the Student Mascot Committee. This group was selected through a competitive application process, ultimately chosen by the Faculty Administrative Committee. Fifty one students applied and twenty were selected. The student committee was tasked to evaluate names based on five separate criteria. They were asked if the mascot was inclusive, non-controversial, pride-inspiring, unique, and true-to-community. The Student Mascot Committee then scored the names on a 5 point scale to narrow the list for the next phase.
Phase III was a vote tally survey conducted internally within Clinton Middle School and Clinton High School. Students were given 20 choices and asked to select their top three. There were 574 students who participated in this phase.
Phase IV was the final opportunity for community input, with the student identified top 6 names being put to the community in the final feedback survey. There were 1606 responses. To end this phase, the Student Mascot Committee met one final time and forwarded 2 names to the Faculty Administrative Committee for a final decision.
The next step was for the Faculty Administrative Committee to look at both choices and evaluate imagery, potential uses, inclusiveness, and overall fit to the internal culture of the district.
After considering the entire process, the decision was made to recommend to the Board of Education that “Clinton Redwolves” be the new mascot. Currently, their staff are working closely with marketing and graphic artists to develop several logos and a brand book. In a newsletter released by the Clinton Community Schools Superintendent Jim Cracraft and Athletic Director Jeff Waltz, they said that they greatly appreciate the Native American Heritage fund and the Midwest Energy and Communications grants that will cover much of the cost of rebranding.
The Clinton Community Schools Board of Education formally adopted the new name at their May Board of Education meeting.
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