School board members in the Garland ISD have approved a new mascot for South Garland High School.
Starting in August of 2021, the mascot will be "The Titans". That will replace the school's original mascot, "The Colonels".
That mascot had been adopted by students in the 1960's, along with the Confederate flag and the use of "Dixie" as the school's fight song. The school had stopped using those two items associated with the Confederacy years ago but had retained "The Colonels" as the mascot.
The school board decided last year to find a new mascot and appointed several committees to review the issue. Those groups received 170 suggestions for a new mascot and narrowed down the list to two finalists.
South Garland TitansGarland ISD
"We reached a consensus on the final two options - The Texans and The Titans," student committee member Jorge Ramirez told the GISD Board of Trustees Tuesday night. Both students and teachers voted in favor of "The Titans" 65 percent to 35 percent.
Community member Anita Hernandez-Goheen says the committees considered several factors before making their recommendation.
"Is the mascot inclusive and representative of SGHS' values and mission? How does the mascot fit with the red, white and blue school colors? How does the mascot name fit with South Garland when spoken?" she said.
The school board voted unanimously to accept the recommendation of "The Titans". The new mascot will make its debut at the start of the new school year.
