29-member committee named to select new Southside High School mascot

Southside High School Principal Wayne Haver on Tuesday (Sept. 8) announced a 29-person committee that will begin work selecting a new mascot for the school. Haver said the committee may meet up to four times and will consider mascot names now being submitted by students.

The Fort Smith Public School Board voted 7-0 on July 27 to change the mascot and end use of the “Dixie” fight song that has been associated with the school since it opened in 1963. The vote was a culmination of a process that began June 23 when a committee of the School Board voted 6-0 to discontinue use of “Dixie” as the Southside High School fight song in the 2015-2016 school year and to drop the Rebel as the Southside mascot in the 2016-2017 school year.

Prior to the July 27 School Board vote on the issue, the Board heard from citizens during a public hearing that last more than 90 minutes. A majority (62%) who spoke were in favor of changing the mascot and fight song.

Southside High School was formed in 1963 and over the years there have been attempts to change the mascot. One of those happened in the late 1980s when a school board committee pushed for a change. The effort failed to gain support from a majority of those then on the Board.

The mascot change does face a legal challenge. Fort Smith attorney Joey McCutchen filed on Sept. 1 a motion for injunctive relief with the Sebastian County Circuit Court. Filing on behalf of Fort Smith resident June Bradshaw, the filing asks the court to block school officials from spending money on a mascot change or blocking use of the “Rebels” nickname.

Haver said Southside High School students have until Sept. 18 to submit their mascot ideas. The mascot committee includes five SHS students. Haver, who serves as the committee chairman, said the “very representative committee” will select a mascot “that will reflect our traditions and heritage.”

“Many of the community members were selected because of their associations to the school. Many are Southside alumni, they are or have been parents of Southside students. Selected retired and current staff members will also play a critical role in the mascot selection,” Haver said in the statement.

Following is a list of the committee members.
Travis Biggs, assistant principal, Southside High School
Sean Carrier, Southside High School band director
Paxton Clark, Southside High School senior class president
Abby Clemmons, Southside High School cheer captain
John Cooley, Propak Logistics, Southside High School alumni
Scott Eady, Southside High School alumni
Gordon Floyd, Southside High School deputy superintendent
Dana Goins, Southside High School staff
Wayne Haver, Southside High School principal and committee chairman
Tim Hearn, Fort Smith EMS, Southside High School alumni
Patrick Jacobs, CARCO, Southside High School alumni
Tony Jones, Southside High School alumni and former band president
Randy Kern, Southside High School staff
David Humphrey, ArcBest Corp., Southside High School parent
Paula Mackey Jeremiah, Southside High School alumni
Kevin Le, National Honor Society president
Larry Loux, retired Southside High School staff
John Magness, Southside High School junior class president
Stephanie Adams Mahoney, Southside High School alumni
Legacy Mendoza, Southside High School athlete (softball)
Catherine Owen, Southside High School student body president
Patti Pinter, PTA president Southside High School alumni
Caroline Rhomberg, Southside High School band president
Jim Rowland, Fort Smith Public School District Athletic Director
Jean Ann Sadler, retired Southside High School staff
Sandy Sanders, Fort Smith Mayor
Sam Sicard, president and CEO, First National Bank of Fort Smith
Pam Weber, Realtor, Southside High School alumni
Jeff Williams, Southside High School athletic coordinator