The following article was published as a part of The Seminole’s 2016 April Fool’s issue! The information, quotations, and other content is completely fictitious and should not be considered a true representation of the school, the administration, or other governing entities.

Yes, the rumors are true. Seminole is well on its way into a plan that would change our beloved Seminole Indian to a Manatee.

In recent years, Seminole High School has begun to review its’ past and historical accuracy. This led to the discovery that a majority of the ways we represent Seminole Indians is incorrect. Even our mascot’s headdress is incorrect as northern American Indians were the ones to wear large feather headdresses, while the Southern Seminole Indians often wore a headband with one feather in it. This major discovery was the one to convince Seminole High School to remove our mascot from both our sign and school website.

Sophomore Julie Rubit says, “I really, really love our mascot [but] if he’s offending other people maybe it’s a good idea not to keep him.”

The school decided to use a manatee for its symbolism. Not only does the animal represent strength in the face of a dwindling environment, but it now removes the threat of offending an American Indian tribe by misrepresenting them through our traditions.

“I think manatees are a really good option other than the fact that they don’t really follow our color scheme,” says junior Sandra Kashi.

The manatee was also chosen since it is the state mammal and will remain close to our hearts. Raising awareness for these formerly endangered animals has been a priority of the state’s for decades now. Seminole high school both endorses and encourages their protection by using them as our mascot.

Senior Rylie Cantico says, “This is the most ridiculous idea that the school has come up with. First they started cutting down pep rallies and now they change our mascot. The school athletic teams ride on the motivation of the Seminole Indian Spirit. It’s horrible to think that we now have a mascot that is big, slow and weak.”

The new mascot will go into effect at the start of the 2017 to 2018 school year for clubs and athletic teams to replace the Seminole Indian with a manatee. The school hopes to keep its iconic orange and black  colors. Go Manatees!!!