Packed with emotions, the questions persist -- and for far longer than the school district and School Board should have allowed: When three high schools become two in Duluth, what will they be called? What will their colors be? What about mascots?
The issues cut at the way we see ourselves and how we identify with our community. Few other red plan decisions are as personal.
And that was never more apparent than this week when a panel of high schoolers addressed School Board members to suggest school names, mascot options and other ideas. After giving such matters endless days of thought, the students offered Denfeld and East for high school names, should the district want to maintain a status quo, and Split Rock and Aerial, should a decision be made to go in a whole new direction. For mascots and team names, suggestions included Hunters, Greyhounds, Trojans, Norsemen and Thunder.
Never mind Norsemen could be considered sexist or that Thunder and Split Rock really have little to do with Duluth, and seem plucked from thin air. The kids are thinking and brainstorming -- even if the School Board and school district don't seem to be. More importantly, they're urging decisions, and soon.
"All students really care about is knowing what is going to happen," East High Senior Sam Seering said at the meeting. "Once they know, they will be able to start adapting to the plans and accepting them."
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District officials owe it to students, if no one else, to hammer out details about school names, mascots, graduation options, parking, jerseys and more, for next year and for the years to follow. Unknowns can't be allowed to fester much longer -- surely, not into summer break.
