Canyons board rejects student vote, adopts Chargers as Draper mascot instead of Cougars

Corner Canyon COYOTES sounds better than Chargers.

Wow, derogatory to women? BYU of all schools should change their name then. What about the Beaver Beavers? Yes, that is really their name, as well as Oregon States. Just because some juvenile minds use certain language or terminology to describe body parts or individuals, doesn't mean everyone should have to change for them. This story is so stupid, I can't even believe it. I saw it first on the homepage of Foxsports today, embarrassing to the state that small minds can be affected this way. On the other side of the coin, the Chicago Cubs will need a new name as well. Way too much PC stuff going on in the world, it's almost like people don't have anything else to do with their time but think of ways that they are, or could possibly, be offended.

Give me a break...will the stupidity never end? I mean, I'm okay with Chargers but no need to nix Cougars because BYU has that mascot (didn't bother Union HS) or because "cougars" are older women that love to hook up with younger men. I mean to most people cougar is a large cat that can be ferocious, or I guess something that would make sense as a mascot.

So it's fine that a church backed school can victimize women. That's all I get from that decision.

First, Corner Canyon Chargers is NOT alliteration ... as was the claim by the administrators who chose it. It doesn't even sound catchy. My kids can't stand that name. Second, I mountain bike in that canyon all the time and I have seen both Diamondbacks (our favorite) and Cougars. Never seen any War Horses. Draper High Diamondbacks sounds WAY better. So disappointed in the choice.

(And we look really dumb to the national media ... again).

And yes I know that technically it is alliteration as they start with the same letter, but they are not catchy or the same sound. Just lame. Is the fact it starts with a "C" a reason to disregard the votes of those that live in the community? At least pick something in the top three choices.

This decision is proof positive that left wing extremism has infiltrated the education system to an alarming degree. Indeed, this is political correctness at its worst.

This left wing doctrine teaches that everything dealing with education must be reduced to the blandest possible level so that no possible offense could be taken by any possible person. Thus, a mascot name that merely represents a powerful creature of nature is suddenly transformed into a symbol of unrestrained sexual deviance. There is something wrong with an administrator who would react to a students suggestion of this mascot with thoughts of sexual activity between lustful older women and impressionable young men.

It is time for parents to stand up to this doctrine of political correctness that turns even the most benign of activities into artificially controversial subjects. Let this school have this honorable mascot.

so their mascot should be a visa card. chargers name suggests you are not financially responsible.

Re: JCS? Just how did you get left wing extremism out of this? More than likely the concerned parents come from the predominant religion of the state...highly doubtful they'll be left wing extremists even if they don't believe with the single party that represents Utah politics.

Also, being a member of that dangerous, extremist left wing, I can assure you that I read the "doctrine" and didn't find any mention about making education the "blandest possible level." This is simply a few parents who probably made up the excuse simply because they didn't want to be associated with the BYU Cougars...they are from the SLC Valley after all!

Sheesh. Now that the ridiculous non-political political story is over, on to the rest of the day.

I think the board is being a little too sensitive. Chargers??? Seriously. I agree with the comment before. Their mascot can dress up like a visa card?

While, I do agree that it is best not to duplicate mascots in the same area, the rest of the arguments are idiotic.
The Canyons District was started by misguided intentions and they are just continuing the tradition.

I'm OK with the board vetoing it because they do not want to have the same mascot as BYU or Kearns High (or even Union High), but playing into the slang term in popular culture . . . come on. Did they propose Courtney Cox or Demi Moore as the mascot too?

But the bigger thing here, after all the talk about Utah changing its mascot for PC issues earlier this month, does BYU now need to take a look at changing its mascot?

Chargers is the perfect name for this demographics. I'm always charging things on my credit card to try and out-do my fellow Draper neighbors. Da da da da da da...Charge!!!!!!! Can't wait to hear that at all the games.

I don't understand why they put it to a vote, and then told the students your vote doesn't mean anything. We are going to cave to the squeaky wheel. Great start to a new school.

Chargers? Wow I can't think of a more unique mascot for a school anywhere.

That table decoration (large flat dish or platter for those of you that don't know)! Really?. . talk about ridiculous. I can't believe the bright folks in Draper who were overly concerned about the negative image the 'Cougar' would be for their cheerleaders daughters, didn't think how utterly idiotic having a dish for a mascot would be.

Now the students will chargers in the stands or better yet throwing them like a frisbee! Sure will make for a frightful sideline mascot - - - can't wait to see the plate all furry with a smiley face on it!!!

@Dark Reaver

I'm as big of a Utah fan as there is, but come on...by being called the Cougars BYU is victimizing women? Get serious. Newsflash: BYU was called the Cougars long before it came to mean a middle-aged woman who picks up younger men in a bar. Should we demand that USC change their name too?

Criticize BYU all you want, but their name is fine and should stay.

The first mistake was not naming the school Draper High School. The Canyons adminstration deserves all the criticism they are getting because they are complete bufoons on so many levels. Draper High school starts out with bad publicity because the Canyons school district is run by incompetent people with no grasp of reality. How embarrasing they are, and what a shame they've continued to make poor decision after poor decision. Dr. Doty needs to be replaced NOW!

Something is wrong with all choices, depending how you view them. Diamondbacks...great, all the students would be snakes. Falcons and Raptors...they're just hawks looking to kill something off. There's nothing wrong with Cougars; I didn't assume anything negative until the School Board brought it up.

And I agree that they should have named the high school Draper High. When school #2 rolls around in town then get creative but let the city show its pride by having its own namesake school.

The Canyons was ill-thought from the start and they continually reinforce that ineptness with nearly every move they make.

If the district desired a unique mascot...one not used by another Utah high school...then "Cougars" should never have been on the ballot that was sent to students.

A basic tenet of Love and Logic Parenting is that a parent never gives a child any choices they can't live with once the child chooses from the alternatives given. The same wisdom applies to school boards soliciting public input on HS mascots.

Not only did the Board overlook the top vote getter, it bypassed 2nd, 3rd and 4th place. Why did the Board go through the charade of a vote if it was going to ignore the top four recommendations? So they could claim they solicited public input?

There are valid concerns with Cougars: 1) Kearns High already has that, and 2) the BYU/Utah rivalry might be problematic. The secondary meaning of "Cougars" is a side show that has been blown out of proportion by the press for an eye-catching story of PC-ness run amok.

The real issue is why the Board put options on the ballot it wasn't willing to live with. Ignoring the 1st, 2nd, 3rd & 4th top picks doesn't make for good PR!

@Johnny Triumph:

You're from American Fork, "Caveman" territory. School mascots are interesting, aren't they? As you note, there is something wrong with all choices, depending how you view them. Some negative connotations could also be found to accompany the Caveman mascot if one is creative. But students tend to rally around their mascot and develop a loyalty for it. Case in point: Jordan High when it had the opportunity to vote out "Beet Diggers" and didn't.

Canyons District has not handled the mascot name for its new high school very well.

But to equate this with total ineptness in every aspect of how the district is being run is quite a jump. The Canyons District regularly has visitors from districts across the state and the nation visiting its leaders to cull information about the academic initiatives it has implemented. Canyons is doing some exciting things to increase academic rigor and college readiness of its students. It would be better not to make overarching generalizations.