Monday, October 19, 2009

Top Alaskan high school mascots

While reading on ASAA's website about the new high school that opened up in Juneau last year, I wanted to know what their mascot was. I found it to be the "Falcons," a very ordinary name. However, Alaska being Alaska, I knew there had to be some schools out there with some strange ones. Here's what some digging produced, in the form of a top three:

3) Chaputnguaq Shaman - Chefornak, AK - Like many rural communities are, I imagine, a spiritual name. Hopefully spells and charms must be removed along with all jewelry before stepping onto the court, gypsy twirls.

2) Aniak Halfbreeds - Aniak, AK - Half man, half...whale? Many small rural communities (Aniak has an enrollement of 40 students) have mascots that identify with local icons or creatures. While I am not sure of the actual presence of werewolves or vampires in Aniak, I have heard whispers of Twilight and Underworld movies being shot here in the near future.

1) Malemute Malemutes - Koyuk, AK - Utterly redundant. I am just distressed by this. You are telling me the best name you could come up with for the school was Malemute, and then to top that off, you wanted the mascot to mirror the school's moniker? Envision: "Starting at guard for the Malemutes," and "When I say Malemute you say Malemutes." This could cause poor grammar too. When will we differentiate between the school name and the mascot name?

Honorable mention: King Cove T-Jacks and Rookies, Kokhanok Warlords, Mountain Village Strivers, Yakov E. Netzvetov Axtam Taligisnikangis(es?ers?)

1 comment:

ulikemoi4sho said...

Just a note: Aniak's mascot, the Half-Breeds, is used to show their pride in their history and caucasian/Alaska Native heritage. The island of Aniak is one of the few places where the Native people and white pioneers met, lived, and intermarried amongst each other peacefully. This is true to this day.

This was told to me by the Aniak volleyball coach.