There's Only One Mascot Name That Can Replace Wappingers 'Indian'

Stop the vote! Ketcham High School already has a suggestion for the best mascot name ever.

As you might have heard, the Wappingers Central School District is finally being forced to change their team name from the Indians to something a bit less offensive.

For years, parents and school officials have seen professional teams drop monikers that reduce Native Americans to silly mascots. It's one thing to have a bulldog or a bear as the symbol of your team, but using a caricature of an entire race of people as your mascot is kind of messed up. It's one of those things that make you say "What were we thinking?"

After years of discussion, the school district hasn't been able to come to terms with the outdated team name on its own, so the State of New York has been forced to step in. Ketcham will now have no choice but to finally abolish the "Indians" moniker after the New York State Board of Regents unanimously voted to ban Native American mascots, team names and logos in New York public schools.

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Students Vote For a New Wappingers Mascot

The change must happen by the end of this school year, so the Wappingers School District has decided to let the students vote on a new mascot. Ketcham principal David Seipp announced that the student council would select three names and then the student body would vote on the winner. The decision is expected by the end of October, in time to have it voted on by the Board of Education.

No Need to Vote, We Already Found the Perfect Ketcham Team Name

While I think it's great that the kids will be involved in the renaming of its sports team, it's probably a waste of time considering that I've already come up with the perfect name. While some have suggested names like the Hawks or the River Rats, I think this is an opportunity to give Ketcham not only a unique mascot name but one that will inspire victory.

There's no rule that you have to name your team after something that already exists. Take Gritty, for example. The Philadelphia Flyers' mascot is some made-up creature with googly eyes and a disturbing multi-colored belly button. And what about Boston's Green Monster or that weird Phanatic? This opens up an incredible opportunity for Ketcham sports teams.

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The new mascot for Wappingers has to be the "Ifyoucan". Hear me out...

Why the New Wappingers Mascot Needs to Be the "Ifyoucan"

Can you imagine how inspired the Ketcham student-athletes will be if they look to the sideline and see the "Ketcham Ifyoucan" cheering them on? Picture the crowd cheering on the mascot... the Ketcham Ifyoucan... The Ketcham If-you-can... The Catch 'Em If You Can!

Of course, the students can decide exactly what an Ifyoucan actually is. It could be a monster like Gritty, a fictional warrior from a far away planet or maybe even a made-up animal.

I know I have no influence in this vote, but if the students don't at least consider the Ketcham Ifyoucan for this once-in-a-lifetime decision I think they'll be missing a great opportunity.

What do you think the new mascot should be? While your suggestion can't possibly be as amazing as the Ifyoucan, we'd still like to hear it. You can text us on our mobile app or comment on our Facebook page.