HEBER CITY, Utah — Parents in Utah’s Wasatch County are seeking to overturn the decision to name a new high school to reflect the area’s railroading heritage.
The Wasatch County School Board decided last month to name the new facility Iron Horse High School, with its athletic teams known as the Thunder, following the recommendation of a marketing company. In part, the name reflects that the school building “looks like a train station,” said Helen Price of VIP Branding, according to a report in the Park Record newspaper.
But an online petition signed by more than 700 people has asked the school board to hold a revote, arguing that “Iron Horse and Thunder do not resonate with our community, nor do these symbols embody the excitement, loyalty and shared pride that weave together the fabric of our community. … We want a name and mascot that we can all be proud of, that encapsulates our shared values, and that excites future leaders.”
In response, the board announced on Jan. 6 that it will send out a survey that will determine the school name between Iron Horse High and three other options: the Deer Creek High School Riverhawks, North Field High School Riverhawks, and Heber Valley High School Riverhawks. “The community will make the final decision for the name and mascot through the final survey,” the board said in a letter posted on its Facebook page. “We hope these efforts will ensure the new high school name reflects the input and desire of the Wasatch community.”
At least one board member stands by the choice.
“We’ve built a $160 million train station. We have to honor that. Everything else is contradictory to that,” school board president Tyler Bluth told the Park Record in December.
In my opinion: It’s just a name of a school, and the protestors need to get over themselves. This isn’t like you’re naming something REALLY important that will last forever…