Does JHS need a mascot or symbol to go along with the Crimson name?

By Ryne Turke on April 22, 2016 at 12:33pm

Logos suggested by Jacksonville Mascot Review Committee

The Jacksonville Mascot Review Committee, consisting of District 117 teachers, coaches, board members, principals and athletic directors, spent the past few months examining that very question.

Chairman Craig Albers notes the committee held several small group meetings with JHS alumni and members of student government.

Albers says the general consensus of those meetings was the “history and heritage” of the Crimson name was too strong to change.

The committee’s next challenge was creating a unified “visual representation” for Jacksonville High School and the future Jacksonville Middle School.  Albers says logo debates in Jacksonville have been going on for years.

“It is because we always have different representations of the ‘J’ and JHS that is used on uniforms, spirit wear and warmups. Similar to the University of Illinois ‘I’, our ‘J’ has its own visual representation. If we use it on everything, it will begin to be how you identify it,” says Albers.

Albers presented this information to the District 117 board Wednesday night. Albers says several board members praised the work done by the Mascot Review Committee.

“There is now a plan in place to give the schools a great visual representation when we go on the road. We really hope going forward that when you see the red “J’, you will immediately identify that as Jacksonville High School or Jacksonville Middle School,” says Albers.

Feedback on the idea will be passed along to coaches and extra circular teachers in the district before action is taken.