School in Canton may switch its mascot
Committee recommends replacing Chiefs with Cobras
Laura Colvin
The Canton Chiefs could become the Canton Cobras.
The Plymouth-Canton Community Schools Board of Education, which voted 6-1 last summer to retire the Canton High School Chiefs mascot and arrowhead logo, heard a presentation Nov. 28 from the committee tasked with recommending a new mascot for the school.
“I want to emphasize that in recommending a new mascot, we are embracing our future,” said Hal Heard, director of high school education. “It does not change our history or legacies tied to the retired Chiefs mascot. The winning seasons, records, plaques and other positive memories will remain. The school colors of red and white will also remain.”
The recommendation for replacing Chiefs with Cobras was a first reading for the board. If the board agrees with the recommendation after a second reading at a future meeting, the change will be formally adopted.
Heard said the selection process began early in the school year when Canton High School students were called on to submit mascot nominations.
Of 279 submissions received, Chiefs was the most common, with 55 nominations. Heard said those were eliminated. Other popular suggestions included Cardinals, with 34 nominations, and Cobras, with 31. Other nominations included Cougars, Coyotes,Chargers and 140 other suggestions.
In October, a group of 43 students reviewed and discussed all the submissions to ensure compliance with district criteria such as positive representation, originality, symbolic connection, cultural sensitivity and alignment with district and school values and mission.
From there, students narrowed the list to 10 possibilities: Phoenix, Vipers, Comets, Cardinals, Cobras, Coyotes, Cubs, Cyclones, Raptors and Cosmos.
All Canton High School students, along with seventh and eighth grade students slated to attend Canton High School, first voted for three finalists and later for a final choice.
When it was all said and done, Cobras came out in front with 53% of the vote, trailed by cardinals, with 29% and coyotes with 17%.
Of 2,866 students eligible to vote, only about 1,100 cast a ballot in the first round and 1,000, or approximately 35%, in the second round.
Canton High School Principal David ReedNordwall indicated he was unsure why more students did not participate, noting the opportunity was advertised on social media, the school PA and through other methods.
“We didn’t mandate or force all students to do it, so they also had the option not to participate,” he said.
Those students who were engaged in the process, however, were enthusiastic about the potential Cobra moniker. “You don’t see a lot of pro teams or high school teams or college teams that have this name,” Reed-Nordwall said. “Some of the students have been very excited: ‘We could be the first champions, the first Canton Cobras to win the state title. We would be the first ever.’”
Trustee Sheryl Picard, who cast the sole vote against retiring the mascot and logo in July, reiterated previous statements that the board should “listen to the voices” of those who participated in a community survey where many respondents said they were against retiring the Chiefs mascot.
Picard also said she was concerned a cobra mascot did not meet the criteria, because it was not significant to the district.
Board President Shawn Wilson said he was glad to see the criteria the committee used to vet the nominations, but he wanted a deeper dive into how each fit the established guidelines. “This is an important decision, this represents the Canton community,” Wilson said. “We want to make sure we’re beyond thoughtful on how it checks these boxes. I would just love for you to pull out a little bit more of why the committee felt Cobras represented these things.”
Superintendent Monica Merritt said estimates put costs associated with changing the mascot at about $213,000 and that some of the costs could – but may not – be funded by grants.
Contact reporter Laura Colvin at lcolvin@hometownlife.com or 248-221-8143.