By Corinne Hogseth
As many are aware, a subcommittee of the School Committee has been working on renaming the AB mascot after the Colonial was “retired” in October 2020. Those opposed to the decision are often reminded that this vote by the School Committee was unanimous, as if that some lends more legitimacy to their decision.
In getting rid of the Colonial mascot, the School Committee violated their own naming policy (Policy FF), technology policy (texting each other during meetings), state conflict of interest guidance and ignored the input of at least half the community. However, in setting up a process to choose a new mascot, they attempted to launch an initiative to replace the Colonial mascot that would be more inclusive.
The public was first asked to weigh in on the renaming issue this past January. The process had potential, with surveys being sent out via email being sent out to over 13,000 members of the community, current students and alumni. These were the constituencies who were left out of the process in the first place. Finally, maybe they’d have a voice.
Rather than burying the lede, let’s state the most notable facts immediately: nearly 40% of the survey submissions indicated preference for reinstatement of the Colonial as the mascot. These submissions were deemed “objectionable” and tossed out.
There were 682 votes for the Colonial. The next most popular suggestions had only 53 votes. Had a records request for the survey results not been submitted, the public would never have known this.
At the outset of the renaming process, it was declared that the Colonial would be off the table. There would be no reference to our local history, of people or events in which many residents of Acton and Boxborough rightfully take pride.
Just as the process of getting rid of the Colonial was rigged in the summer and fall of 2020, the process of choosing a new mascot has been manipulated so that only those who agree with the original decision are allowed to have any input. The School Committee and Peter Light continue to treat the community and especially AB alumni with contempt.
Digging Into the Data
Out of these 13,000 surveys sent out, over 2,000 responses were submitted. About 400 of them were attempts to manipulate the results, all coming from seven identical IP addresses and suggesting eight identical names. It is worth noting none of them were for the Colonial.
Throwing those out, we’re left with nearly 1800 submissions (including about 50 that had no suggestion at all). And from those submissions, two facts become abundantly clear:
- The School Committee lacked any widespread support from the community get rid of the Colonial and
- The Colonial mascot is the only suggestion with any clear support.
There were 435 unique suggestions and about 1750 total votes. Only 16 suggestions received ten or more votes, and those accounted for 1106, or 63% of the total votes.
The following table summarizes the tallies of those mascot suggestions that received 10 or more votes:
While this table is a bit busy, it illustrates the following:
- The suggestions with 10 or more votes accounted for 63% of all votes.
- Many of the votes, particularly from students, were unserious and should not be included in any analysis. The main issue is that 63% of the student suggestions had only 4 or fewer votes; there was no consensus.
- Examples of student suggestions include Ollie the Octopus, Sammy the Bullfrog, Adam Sandlers, Slutty Sloth, Poison Dart Frogs, Sam the Stimulus Check and Banana Slugs.
- AB alum submitted nearly half of all survey results. Through their survey submissions and many emails, they expressed disgust, anger, disappointment, embarrassment and even shame in the School Committee’s decision to get rid of the Colonial mascot. More than half – 56% – advocated to have the Colonial reinstated. In that group, the Colonial got more than 17 times more votes than the next most popular suggestion, the Hawks.
- Among students, the Colonial received 2.8 times more votes than the next most popular suggestions, the Eagles and the Coyotes.
- Overall, the Colonial garnered nearly 13 times more votes than the next two highest suggestions – The Eagles and the Revolution/Revolutionaries.
Considering the Options
The mascot committee has narrowed down the list of contenders to the Revolution, the Stingers, the AB United and the Nor’easters. And I really tried to help the group out here – I lumped all bees, hornets, wasps, yellow jackets into one category. Same for Hawks and Eagles. Revs, Revolutionaries and Revolution were all lumped into a single category, as well. Even with these little boosts, none of those categories could muster more than 53 votes – out of nearly 1800 submissions.
So let’s look at some of these contenders.
The Revolution is probably only on the list to placate Colonial supporters and will probably be tossed out on the grounds that it makes reference to our Colonial past. But “Revolution” also has a radical connotation to it that, in today’s political environment, is offensive to many.
Nor’easters? It got TWO votes. Stop it.
The Stingers? This is obviously a reference to the Bees, which several students suggested in some sort of twisted homage to the pests that were harassing them on school grounds last fall. It was pointed out to the committee that our female athletes would be subject to abuse when being introduced as the “Acton Boxborough Bees”. But Stingers?? Someone needs to check an online urban dictionary. “Stinger” is slang for both a bong hit and a bowel movement. I really hesitate to point this out, because I’d love to see this blow up in the School Committee’s collective face. To whoever came up with this, thanks for the laugh!
AB United is about the most offensive candidate under consideration. I have seen nothing divide our community more than the decision to get rid of the Colonial in my 24 years in Acton. Replacing the Colonial with the AB United would be a slap in the face to all who have opposed killing the Colonial and the process by which it was done.
Commentary from Students, Alumni & Community Members
Aside from the raw data, many of the comments were insightful, poignant and even educational. Peter Light has stated several times that in killing the Colonial mascot, we are not erasing history or disrespecting all past Colonials. Clearly, Colonial supporters, past and present, disagree.
Comments from alumni, spanning from the classes of 1961 to 2019 (at least):
- “As a member of the class of 1961, which was the first class to go all 4 years in what was then the new high school, we feel we have a very strong attachment to our mascot name! Last September, we celebrated our 60th year of ABRHS graduation. We were sorely disappointed that we could not obtain any of the “colonial” memorabilia from the school store, as it had been donated somewhere else rather than given to the class of 1961. We are/were proud colonials, and we saw no reason to change our beloved mascot!”
- “All legacies and alumni of AB remember it by the colonials banners in the halls, the colonials chants at games, and the constant colonials merchandise worn by athletes and students alike. This throws it all away.”
- “I find it offensive to change the name that was designed to honor the people who fought for the freedom we enjoy today.”
- “I’m not sure you know this… and probably don’t care… but the AB school committee does NOT represent the desire of the broader Acton community.”
- “When I was very young, even Acton’s phone exchange was known as “Colonial”, or CO3-####. Concord’s was “Emerson”, or EM9-####…. Has anyone bothered to research when Colonial mascot was chosen and why?”
- “If the Colonial is replaced, I will no longer support AB.”
From current students:
- “Have not talked to anyone who doesn’t approve of Colonials. Was not a public decision. The majority most definitely did not overturn the mascot.”
- “The school committee should not be allowed to privately make the executive decision to remove a mascot that the vast majority of the towns of Acton and Boxborough support, creating unnecessary division in the town. The fact that this happened, especially at the time that it did, shows that the school committee does not have the AB communities best interests at heart. It is shameful…”
- “This is unfair to a very large majority of the community, we never got a say. This is performative activism at its finest.”
- “The decision to retire the mascot was unfairly decided by a team of 25 student voices that did not represent every side of the issue. The community had absolutely no say in the matter.”
And from current parents and members of the community:
- “I as a parent will not be spending a dime more to go through the change process to help some students’ entrance paper to college…. It would be interesting to see how many students really want a change….All this group for equity and diversity has done is divide the students and community. Bravo!”
- “The way the process was held was not above board.”
- “I’m not sure you know this… and probably don’t care… but the AB school committee does NOT represent the desire of the broader Acton community.”
Conclusion
It is clear from these comments that a huge number of people in our community have been left completely disenfranchised in this process. Their disgust, anger and mistrust are well-founded – they were left completely out of the loop when the School Committee got rid of the Colonial and now their input with regard to renaming the mascot is being deliberately ignored.
Who are Peter Light and the School Committee members to dictate to the residents, students and alumni of Acton and Boxborough that we may not reinstate the Colonial mascot? Peter Light is an employee. He doesn’t pay local taxes. He has no kids in the system. He’s not the boss of us. And while Peter works for the School Committee, the School Committee works for us. They are supposed to do what’s best for our students and the school community, not push their own partisan agendas.
This entire process has been flawed since the beginning. It started during a summer of violent protests across the country, was conducted by a small group of teachers and their handpicked students and was not made public for several months. By the time it was sprung on the public in September 2020, teachers and students hadn’t been in school together in six months. There was no opportunity for open debate or discussion in the schools or community.
But Colonial killers used that to their advantage, and within a matter of weeks, with little opportunity for public input, in violation of the district’s naming policy, and an undeclared conflict of interest by at least one member of the School Committee, the Colonial was hastily retired. How can they continue to feign shock at the division in the community they themselves caused? How can they pretend there is a consensus to get rid of the Colonial when clearly there is not?
There is nothing to stop the School Committee from reinstating the Colonial. If they had any hope of restoring any public trust in their committee, any respect for decades of alumni they’ve offended or any sense of obligation to repair the fissure they’ve caused in the community, that’s exactly what they would do. But that would require admitting that they exercised poor judgement in the first place, and we know they’re not brave enough to do that.
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It was smart to do a public records request and telling that the Colonial mascot won. People love the founding fathers and appreciate the colonists for playing their role in achieving greatness. It is clear that the mascot removal process was undemocratic from the start. It was the work of historically challenged ideologues. Now they are applying their radical Critical Methods, to the schools, with DEI litmus tests on all job openings. This will guarantee ideological homogeneity. For them, the goal is to promote society’s “victims” and to demote its “oppressors” (per racial / gender qualifiers). Acton-Boxborough can expect SAT scores to fall and their ranking to decline, as a result of this epic change. The traditional goal of the town was to promote quality instruction, as measured by test scores. Now it is to achieve an ideal society, based on immutable characteristics. This utopian vision will supposedly be achieved by applying the opposite values to those that built America (promote hard work, talent and altruism).
Inflation is causing school budgets to explode and it will soon force an override in Acton. The school committee seems oblivious to this. They don’t know how hard it is to get an override passed. They seem to assume that people enjoy paying bills, but it will take a lot of trust between school and town, to get it done. Ironically, the budget will have an expense item for the removal of a beloved emblem. The people may simply not support an override that includes this. They may consider it “taxation without representation.”
Hopefully America will challenge this anti-intellectual moment. Critical Methods is a pervasive problem throughout America’s schools. We all need to fight it. Thankfully, PBS is airing a two part series on Benjamin Franklin, this week. He is a heroic testament to the complexity and challenge of the colonial years. They struggled mightily to break away from the dictatorships of Europe. They barely pulled it off and that they could give us any semblance of human rights or equality, is a miracle. Of course it wasn’t perfect, nothing ever is, but they started the journey… for America to become the most free and tolerant country in the world. We have done well on that journey. That people still come here, from around the world, is a testament to what the colonials started.
An interesting Catholic synopsis of woke ideology: https://youtu.be/fQqzEBGQNaI
Benjamin Franklin | “An American” (1775-1790), PBS series
https://www.pbs.org/video/episode-1-join-or-die-1706-1774-8ssna3/
https://www.pbs.org/video/episode-2-an-american-1775-1790-wtgias/
Well written, too bad it will not be considered by these woke radical socialists, I left MA in 2020 and it’s the best decision I ever made, good riddance you lunatics.
As Captain of the 1976 varsity baseball team, I was proud to be a Colonial and oppose any name change. History is written not rewritten and Acton has always served as an example of the heroism displayed in America’s fight for freedom.
I don’t care what the community decides to call the mascot. This issue is seriously overblown. However, whatever new mascot is chosen, I just hope all uniforms, banners and facilities are branded with a generic AB logo that has zero allusion to the actual mascot. This way, when social norms evolve again, the schools is spending money to have to rebrand. I don’t have a strong opinion either way of what the mascot is, so if the proper school board processes are followed and a new mascot is selected….whatever. Their are apparently enough people who care about what they call their high school mascot. I would just like the school to keep the branding simple and adaptable so money isn’t needlessly spent to buy unis, redo the gym floor, etc.
I seems to me that the easiest way to solve this would be for Colonial supporters to run for the school board during the next election cycle. If they win the can reinstate the Colonial mascot.
Class of 99 here.
You people need to find a hobby or something. Who cares what they name the mascot?
Nick, in my view it is not about the name of the mascot, it is about the way our elected officials behave and about how they treat citizens. It is about the way they submit to small group (who’s main objective is to get some catchy story on their college application, I would guess) and neglect any other opinion. And of course the cost of this on the top. If one wants different color of their house, they have to pay for it… so should pay for the change the “cancel culture” group who asked for this change. And yes, the name was really nice, relevant to Acton….
I request that the people who have eloquently posted so far please attend the SC meeting tomorrow (Thursday) evening and make your concerns heard during the initial Public Comments period. You are allowed 3 minutes, and since most of you are former Colonials, your voice will have an extra resonance. I do not have a history with the AB Schools and so don’t have the same emotional attachment to the name, but my outrage is over the absolutely corrupted process that brought this situation to where it is.
You deserve the government you elect.
Governance like this is why I left Acton and Massachusetts after graduating, not to return. I have no desire to return to Massachusetts. You tolerate these actions by re-electing these representatives year after year.
Thank you for this article. As a 1984 alum, I was disturbed to hear of the removal of our beloved mascot. This is political correctness or ‘woke’ culture at its worst, and incorrect at that. I am one of many who wrote and voted to have Colonials reinstated. Don’t let a handful of students/staff disrespect and ignore the vast majority of students, alumni and community members!
Please Bring Back Our Colonial Mascot. The Colonials fought for Freedom..as in Freedom to choose the Mascot. I believe in being progressive.. but this I feel takes something away from each of our histories. Class of 1975
I have lived in Acton since 1963. I graduated in 1967. My yearbook, as well as many before mine, is ‘Colonial’ referenced many times. My daughter graduated from ABRHS, and her yearbook is filled with similar references to COLONIAL’S!
The process to change is flawed on so many levels! I say, ‘If it ain’t broke……!
Thank you for this great article. I was class of 1976 and proud to be the Colonials and I believe that it should be reinstated.
You tell ’em, Lynn!
I’m from Lynn’s class. I agree with her. School Committee, learn a lesson and admit you were wrong.
What’s next…let’s level all the old colonial homes that were built by those Colonials for if we should not honor their name why would we want to preserve their homes were they lived and spread their corruption. Tear down Jones Tavern, the Faulkner Homestead and of course the ring leaders home of one notorious Colonial Captain Issac Davis himself. Take down the Obelisk of these oppressors that looms over the very heart of this town. And please disband the Historical Society for they are preserving the very presence of these Colonial Tyrants!
How many people in the current AB regional school board and Peter Light, are alumni of ABRHS and therefore have zero school pride in the game having never been a Colonial? Do you also intend to change the Warriors mascot of ABJay?
As a 1981 graduate, whose phone number as a child was Colonial 32870, I’m sickened that our history and fellowship means nothing to today’s woke, soulless board. I was an elected school board member for years in the school district my 4 kids attended. I wouldn’t have ever thought it was my place to erase the history and fellowship of their school district.
I was a respondent to that survey as a former parent of an Acton student, a former assistant teacher at Merriam, a former head track coach at the High School, and an alum of McC-T through ABRHS, then a resident, as are my parents (60 years for them!). I am just so disgusted at this from every perspective.
This weekend we took my son’s girlfriend who was visiting from out-of-state over to see the Concord Bridge and the Minuteman Historical Museum and walking trails — there were at least 5 large signs scattered throughout the various historical sites telling everyone about Isaac Davis and Abner Hosmer, “among the group of brave Colonials who came from Acton to help fight the Regulars and repel the British” occupying our country [Concord’s and Lincoln’s and the federal historical site’s words – not mine.] What is not to be proud of, and inspired by?!?! We should never concede the battle to get the Colonial back. Hosmer and Davis wouldn’t have!
I could not agree more, Thank you for this! I had a feeling that the process was corrupted, but would not expect it to be so bad…wow. The only positive thing out of the “retiring” Colonials I can see was a “good progressive story to brag about” on college application by a few…at the expense of the community, everybody else lost. Many of us lost trust in community leaders (school committee and school management to be specific), good feeling and interest in participation in community issues, and also we all lost some taxpayers money. To change everything with the logo will cost something, wouldn’t it. Besides… Colonial Chevrolet, Colonial Spirit, Colonial Jeep, Colonia Acres, Colonial Valet, Colonial Life… should we rename them all??? Or just simply rewrite the history to the liking of those who’s life will feel better without Colonials?
Let’s not forget the $500,000 that it will cost to make these changes
So does someone on the committee get the contract to make all the new logos, school store merchandise, ets. Isn’t that how this works? Ask Nancy Pelosi.
I had not stopped to think of all our local businesses who have embraced the true meaning of “Colonial” as it shines forth from Acton’s history. A history of ordinary people who left farm and family and stepped up in the face of grave danger to cast off oppression and win the freedom and the right of self-determination that we hold so dear to this very day. Thank you so much for bringing that perspective into the discussion.
My wife and I have lived in Acton over 14 years and are invested in this town, with three kids in the AB system. I was one of the parents of AB kids who wrote to re-instate the Colonial mascot, and probably got my comments and vote summarily dismissed by the commissars of the School Committee. Since I did not grow up in Acton in particular or New England in general, I don’t have a proverbial “dog in the fight” except being a fellow American who loves history and hates cultural Marxism/critical race theory. Thanks for making this travesty known, even if the fix is in.
Excellent article! – thank you for following this issue and getting the information and the truth out into the light for all to see. I’m sure it wasn’t easy. Transparency seems a buzzward used most by those who are anything but transparent.
What can be done to reinstate the Colonials?
Come to the schoolboard meeting tonight. Let your voice be heard!