You have entered an incorrect email address! In the Facebook comments of the Manhasset Press August article Petition To Replace Manhasset High School Mascot, former Manhasset Press editor, current Co-President of the Manhasset Chamber of Commerce and North Shore TV host Elizabeth Johnson said, I believe the Indian mascot represents a brave, honorable image of beauty, skill and agility. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Thanks for contacting us. It may be sad to remove the Manhasset Indian from the lobby of the high school. Manhasset High School is a very competitive school as their SAT scores are around 1300s. Of the district's 3,051 students (as of the 202021 school year), 222 (7.3%) qualified for free lunch, while 17 (0.6%) were eligible for reduced-price lunch. Not once at any school or community event have we witnessed the Indian name be tarnished or demeaned in any way, rather, we watch as students and community members proudly boast the name, chanting We are the Indians for anyone in the nearby vicinity to hear.. Those who identify as being of Hispanic ethnicity may also identify as being of any race, but in these figures, anyone who identifies as Hispanic is counted once, in this category only. The boys' and girls' fencing teams practice together and compete separately on a coordinated schedule. Manhasset Middle School; Partners in Education" Our Partners in Education; Parents/Community" Secondary School Parent Teacher Conference Information; To have students dress up in feathers and different outfits that belong to Natives is disrespectful, the petitions description reads. Mills claimed the mascots can become a barrier to building a safe and nurturing school community andimproving academic achievement for all students.. All Rights Reserved. [25] After consultation with a local focus group, the Manhasset UFSD chose not to make any changes. She wrote in her fictional news report: In 2021, 35 Manhasset High School student government leaders and varsity sports captions co-signed a letter in support of retaining the Manhasset Indian mascot. Cancel cancel culture and honor who we are and where we came from, the good with the bad. I believe these players are proud when the don the teams uniforms and play to give honor to them. ", Many other educational institutions have chosen names of white guys such as George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, Schlanger said. Include the headline and date of the article you are responding to. The community organization formed after the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. An Indian logo does remain in Manhasset Secondary Schools lobby, and the schools newspaper is called Indian Ink. Ruby Design Company. We must change the school name and mascot to a more appropriate and less offensive name. Trigg said after she created her petition, a counter-petition was started, garnering around 1,000 signatures. Travis Fortounas is a contributing writer for Anton Media Group. We have to ask ourselves what has taken so long?. What was once acceptable, no longer is. Almost 20 years later, the school district will have another decision to make on the mascot after an online petition garnered more than 3,000 signatures, and members of the Native American community denounced the mascot. Groundwork for the new changes had been laid out long before the NFLs Washington Redskins and MLBs Cleveland Indians changed their names to the Commanders and Guardians respectively in 2022. Before emailing the board of education, Schwenk shared the letter with Manhasset High School Principal Dean Schlanger, who he says hes gotten to know during his time in the 7th 12th grade building. /* Add your own Mailchimp form style overrides in your site stylesheet or in this style block. I am committed to examining this issue in a thoughtful and inclusive manner as we move forward.. Manhasset High School's chief historical rival in lacrosse is Garden City High School, against whom Manhasset's games are termed the Woodstick Classic, of which at least one has been played each season since 1935, except in 2020 (when the season was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic). Although her parents have lived in Manhasset for more than 40 years and still live there today. Its not a red-faced Indian which I think people get upset with, Amen said. From time to time, some of the decals on the helmets change, Amen said. The school is located near the Manhasset train station, Manhasset Valley Park and the site of the former Plandome Road School (now Mary Jane Davies Green). State Assemblyman Charles Lavine (D-Glen Cove) has requested that the county Legislatures Public Safety Committee look into corruption claims within, The Towns of Hempstead and Oyster Bay have repealed local abortion restrictions following recent calls from elected officials. Trigg plans to keep the petition up as long as it takes to get through to the administration of Manhasset. MHS Manhasset High School Manhasset, NY USA Wednesday April 26, 2023 1991 After contacting the board of education two Sundays ago, he called their lack of response slightly concerning., Considering that its the board of education who constantly stresses that theyre there for the students, Schwenk said. Many different AP courses are available to students. I think it sounds so much cooler.. Manorhaven Modern Coastal Port Washington | 4 Edgewood Road | $899,500 This stunning home o!ers everything you need to enjoy the perfect coastal lifestyle of Port Washington. History [ edit] There are more than a dozen Long Island schools likely to be affected: the Manhasset, Brentwood and Sewanhaka Indians; the Comsewogue, Wyandanch, Amityville and Wantagh Warriors; East Islip. Many parents and students in some districts feel like their teams nicknames pay homage to the rich Native American heritage of the state and the Iroquois tribal confederacy from which countless town names are derived. Manhasset needs to realize that the use of caricature as a Mascot is racist and incredibly insensitive, signer of the petition, Sophia Colalillo said. The district didn't announce any changes or decisions on the mascot after the meetings. This came after years of public outcry, including its own fan base, but also pressure from sponsors and minority owners like FedEx CEO Fred Smith, to majority owner Daniel Snyder for a change in name. Schwenk maintained the seniors desire to communicate with the district administration, though, no matter the decision thats ultimately reached. Im a proud Manhasset Indian, and I pray the tradition never ends. If nothing else, Americans have learned and improved us into the greatest, giving nation in the world. You have mascots that are animals or sometimes an inanimate object. [36], In fine art, Manhasset High School offers 23 possible course options, including AP Studio Art and AP Art History. This is the disclaimer text. If it sounds completely ridiculous and offensive, it is because it is. The Manhasset logo is similar to the Redskins logo, but the school district has been trying to distance itself from that logo in recent years and it cannot be found on their website. 200 Memorial Pl Manhasset, NY 11030. Knowing how to live off the land and be ecological friendly unlike the many spoiled children of Manhasset who knock over planters because they are bored and drop their garbage all over the place. Efforts to reach the Booster Club for comment were unavailing. The district is coming under fire for their mascot, seen as offensive to Native Americans. On Nov. 29, Dean Schlanger, principal of Manhasset Secondary School, announced the school's new mascot would be "White Guy." "We wanted to dive into our roots and truly find the perfect. The server is misbehaving. Some Long Island residents have perceived such Indian mascots as symbols of "fearsome warriors" or "harrowing braves." For others, the feathered caricatures have simply faded into the background. I agree that the intent of the mascot is to honor and respect the spirit of the American Indian. Sandi Brewster-Walker, executive director of the Montaukett nation, called for use of the mascot to be put "on hold" until local community members could be educated properly on the history and customs of local indigenous peoples, pointing out that the imagery said to honor local tribes was in reality connected with nations originating from west of the Mississippi river. Simply put, having a mascot that appropriates indigenous peoples is incongruent with the values I was taught in the Manhasset Public Schools. A petition has been started to replace the Manhasset High School mascot. WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO JOIN OUR DAILY CONVERSATION. The Manhasset Parent Portal (MPP) is a password protected gateway through which parents/guardians are able to view the following student data based upon student grade level. As a result of some community concern, the Board of Education and administration will be surveying each of the school mascots to gauge their appropriateness to the school and their community values, Sewanhaka Central High School District Superintendent James Grossane said. We're doing our best to get things working smoothly! [28][29], On January 7, 2021, Butera announced that the Manhasset School District would act on a suggestion from Brewster-Walker and form a committee comprising students, community members and representatives from local indigenous nations to review the school's use of Native imagery and symbols. New York follows 20 other states which have moved to restrict Indigenous-related monikers at the high school level. However, as you can see from this list, societal norms shift and change. Schwenk says they refer to it as the Manhasset name and image. The number of students included in this report and the overall enrollment reports for each school different are consistent, but differ from the total district enrollment figure. Many other states with significant Indigenous populations made these mascot changes back in the '90s. December 3, 2022. 0. [37][38][39] Manhasset music students are regularly among the selectees for NMEA All-County, NYSSMA All-State and NAfME All-Eastern and All-National honor ensembles. This included the NYSSMA Major Organization Festival and Music in the Parks. At the request of the school district, which sought to measure input originating from local residents only, the Manhasset Justice . [12], According to the American Community Survey Education Tabulation (ACS-ED) for 201519, the Manhasset UFSD has a population of 16,847 residents total across 5,547 households. We operate in several niches like Finance, Cannabis, Gambling & many others. In 2021, a bill was introduced in the New York State Legislature which would force non-Native schools with indigenous-based team names to abandon their mascot by the 202425 school year, but it did not receive a floor vote during the 202122 legislative session. They most likely do not know much about Native history in general because Native history is not taught in school., One signer who commented on the petition said, I swear to god Ive been saying this for years. Thirty-five Manhasset High School class of 2021 student government representatives and varsity athletic team captains co-signed an email accusing the board of education of making a start to change the mascot without consulting the community. Not only that but they call that school mascot an Indian and call it an "honor". [23][24], In 2001, New York State Commissioner of Education Richard P. Mills advised public schools in New York to stop using Indian mascots and team names. It represents this really purely stereotypical and whitewashed view about what we think Indians look like.. Trigg lived in Manhasset for her 18 years and currently resides in Brooklyn. [9] 26 Advanced Placement (AP) courses were offered at Manhasset in 202021, with 522 students sitting for 1,406 exams in that school year, including approximately 75% of 12th grade students. The Manhasset Union Free School District, also known as Manhasset Public Schools, is a public school district serving the Greater Manhasset area of Nassau County, on the North Shore of Long Island, in New York. This is how it starts. The Indian head has been the face of Manhasset High School since the early 1900s and has remained the same since. We would like to be more involved with the board of ed and their decision, Schwenk said. [5] The new building was completed in December 1936, with a dedication ceremony taking place on November 19, 1936. "[24], Manhasset teams continued to use the "Indians" name (as well as uniforms in some cases reading simply "Manhasset") and "M with a feather" logo as their identity through the 202122 season and no announcement of any decision made by a committee to review the use of indigenous symbols and imagery has been made as of August 19, 2022. MANHASSET, NY A November state Department of Education ruling that public school districts can no longer use Native American mascot names and imagery reignited debates across Long Island. Even as a young child in the early 1990s attending Munsey Park Elementary school, I knew that the Manhasset High School mascot, the Indians, was immoral. Public school teams in New York will soon be barred from calling themselves names like the Warriors, Chiefs, Redmen or Braves following a Tuesday ruling by Albany education honchos. New York State Public High School Athletic Association; About. Theres no way to justify the mascot as it is. Contact. Manhassets petition, organized by alum Jo Trigg, has gained nearly 6,000 signatures since it was launched two years ago. At Manhasset High School, students from the class of 2021 taking the SAT test averaged 641 in reading and writing and 681 in math, compared with state averages of 526 and 531. Phone: 516-307-1045 | Fax: 516-307-1046 |, Manhasset to wait for state guidance before deciding on mascot, MTA announces completion of pocket track extension in Great Neck, Clavin challenged by Nicks for Hempstead supervisor, Port resident appointed dean of Queens College School of Education, Rockensies named Nassau IDA chairman, Troiano replaces Kessel, Williston Park podiatrists feat: business, charity, Honored for living a life of philanthropy, Naomi Watts movie The Book of Henry films in Williston Park. I graduated from Manhasset High School in 2004, and thought that as some time passed, the mascot would change. The Island Nows mission is to create an educational platform that educates through simplicity and entertainment. A petition headlined, "Manhasset High School should change the racist mascot," started out as a small petition in early June and turned into a widely followed page with close to 2,000 signatures. A petition headlined, Manhasset High School should change the racist mascot, started out as a small petition in early June and turned into a widely followed page with close to 2,000 signatures. Sewanhakas school newspaper is called The Chieftain, and the yearbook is called Totem. Were an imperfect people in an imperfect country, but it is the greatest country on the face of the earth. The ensembles earned top awards at these events. Its very interesting to see how the students are making this known to the entire community now, rather than the board of education making it known which is what they said they would do., Manhasset is an Indian tribe. Photo Galleries. 89.9% of public school households live in dwellings owned by the householder, while 10.1% are renters. Over the couple of years that I was there and even beyond that, they would have kids dress up as Cowboys and Indians.. Saint Mary's High School, Manhasset | Manhasset NY A Change.org petition for Manhasset to change its mascot, . The Kansas City Chiefs, Atlanta Braves, Chicago Black Hawks, The Fighting Illini and many high school teams among them. And we are the Indians., State Assemblyman Charles Lavine (D-Glen Cove) has requested that the county Legislatures Public Safety Committee look into corruption claims within, The Towns of Hempstead and Oyster Bay have repealed local abortion restrictions following recent calls from elected officials. Copyright 2023 Anton Media Group All Rights Reserved , Manhasset Under Pressure To Change Mascot, Community Icon Matthew Falcone Passes Away At 83, Halloween On Ryder Road During A Pandemic, Groundbreaking Endometriosis Study Enters Phase 2, Welcome The Newest WWE Hall Of Fame Inductee: Andy Kaufman, Hicks Nurseries And The Rise (And Fall) Of The Gold Coast Estates, The Bahr Gallery Presents The Hippie Ethos Exhibit. MP/SR GO GREEN WEEK ALL DAY. In the lobby of the Manhasset Secondary School, you are greeted by a large Native American wooden statue. 82.8% of public school parents in Manhasset have a bachelor's degree or greater, 10.8% have some college or an associate's degree, 5.6% have only a high school diploma or equivalent and 0.8% did not complete high school or earn an equivalent qualification.