Willie and Highlandette captain Madison Wachel: Photo by Greg Dale
The Lake Highlands High School mascot, Willie the Wildcat, is getting a new look, and the athletics department is seeking opinion from the public — Lake Highlands High School students and alum as well at the LH community at large — via this survey.
Though I’ve covered Lake Highlands and its high school for almost a decade now, Willie the Wildcat really was not on my radar. So I looked to the Lake Highlands High Facebook page to see what Wildcat country was saying about ol’ Willie and the proposed update.
Here are a few things I learned: 1. Several people did not know the mascot was named Willie. 2. Even more think the name Willie is stupid. 3. Give people a forum on which to complain about something and some will, and will they ever, no matter how trivial the topic or how flimsy their understanding of the thing at which they are angry. (Not saying Willie’s costume is unimportant — to the students, the team members, the cheerleaders and fans, it obviously is significant and it is cool that the school is considering community feedback. It just seems that the energy it takes to be annoyed and to speak and write with irritation over something that is supposed to be fun could be spent in more productive ways, and in writing that, I am not just referring to the Willie situation, of course).
More on Willie the Wildcat’s new costume, from Facebook:
“We need to go back to the original colors of red and white. Black was not part of the original school colors.” (Black is the new … bone of contention?).
“Willie?!?! That is a horrible name!”
“That’s the best you can do?” (Well, that’s helpful).
“These look like they are leopard slankets.” (Slankets are blankets, but with arms — kind-a funny).
“None of these look like wildcats. Sheesh.” (And this Chicken doesn’t even look like a chicken)
“Why change what has always been known as the LH Wildcat?” (Changing what the mascot is known as: not once suggested).
“Why fix things that are broken? Tradition is so important!” (They just want to spruce up his costume. Maybe it’s worn out; can you imagine the smell in that thing after teenagers sweating inside it season after season?).
You know what is truly a tradition? Disrespecting, ignoring and even despising team mascots. Whole web campaigns were created in an effort to oust the Dallas Cowboy’s Rowdy. Dallas’s Mavs Man was pretty cool, but now there is Champ, the horse (He doesn’t even look like a horse. Sheesh.). I had to look up Champ in order to remember his name. The Texas Rangers, too, have a horse mascot. Named Captain. And no one really cares. Unless, of course, you have an offensive mascot, like the Coachella Valley Arabs or the Robstown High Cottonpickers. Then people care.
As for Willie, I went through the entire online portfolio of Lake Highlands High School photographer Greg Dale (who told me I could use photos from his extremely good site, at will, in the Advocate, so thanks, Greg) and found just one photo of Willie (at least I think that’s Willie; It could be a very dedicated fan, I suppose.)
The four choices you will find in the fan survey
If you do care enough to vote on Willie’s new costume (I do not believe a name change, team colors, etc. actually are on the table), use the link up-top. Number one looks about the same as the 2013 version — so if you’re in the don’t-change-it’s-tradition camp, that’s your vote. Number two actually looks pretty cool, but that is just the humble opinion of a St. Pius X Parochial School Tiger, Bryan Adams High School Cougar, Richland Thunderduck and SMU Mustang.
