Posted on Friday, July 17th, 2015 at 7:00 pm
Next Friday, attorney Joey McCutchen is hosting “Rally for the Rebels” at Southside High School. This rally is a chance for community members to come out and share memories and experiences from their time at Southside High School, as well as provide an opportunity for community members to discuss their thoughts and feelings on the proposed changing of the school mascot, “Johnny Reb.”
Last month, a School Board committee voted unanimously to remove “Dixie” as the school song starting in the 2015-2016 school year, and to then remove the Rebel mascot for the 2016-2017 school year. The School Board will vote to finalize the committee’s recommendations on July 27th.
One of the strongest impetuses for this rally is the fact that many in the community are concerned that their opinions will not be heard at the upcoming School Board meeting. As such, McCutchen wanted to provide a place where members of the community can gather to express their thoughts about this proposition and have their voices heard.
Additional concerns have been raised regarding the funds that will be needed to officially change the school’s mascot, with some estimates as high as $500,000. McCutchen noted, “I would like to see the Board consider serious matters, like our children’s education. … I don’t want, and a lot of people don’t want, teachers included, don’t want hundreds of thousands of dollars spent on changing a mascot.”
Rally for the Rebels will take place on Friday, July 24th from 6:30-8:30 pm at the Southside High School football stadium.
