By Cate Lecuyer
BEVERLY — Beverly High School has, was and always will be about the Panthers.
At least according to more than 350 students and teachers who signed a petition opposing the School Committee's decision to embed a version of the first U.S. Navy ship, the Hannah, in the lobby floor of the new high school.
The School Committee supported the design with the mindset that the panther mascot stands for students that play sports, and not the rest of the school.
But kids disagree.
"It represents our school as a whole, and not just athletics," said sophomore class president Jake Levine, who started both the petition and a Facebook group — with up to 456 members full of Panther pride.
An image of the school mascot — be it a body, a face or a paw — is a part of the marching band, extracurricular activities, agenda books and Beverly pride T-shirts, Levine said.
He and a few other students plan to meet today with Superintendent James Hayes.
"We'd either want to have the logo changed to a panther, or not have a logo at all, and use the money to benefit teachers and students," Levine said.
Students were surprised and shocked Wednesday as they circulated a news article about the plans for the floor of the main entrance.
"A lot of people were really upset, because it seems like they're trying to change our logo from the Panthers to a ship," sophomore Sky Cowans said. "We've always been the Panthers, and I don't know why they would do that."
The Hannah logo emerged from conversations that started more than two years ago as a small group discussed a potential symbol for the high school floor. The $35,000 for the emblem was included as part of the high school construction bid.
"I started with a panther in mind but couldn't get a consensus from people," Hayes said.
Nancy Brusil, a former School Committee president involved in the original talks, said she believed the high school symbol should emphasize academics, not athletics.
"The panther logo is more than appropriate in the field house," she said on Tuesday. "But the floor logo should have a theme that points to academics."
She said the publicized version is more appropriate than the mascot, but it's not what was originally intended.
"At one point, there was a ship sitting on a book, sailing into the future," she said.
Last year, Hayes took the Hannah drawing to the school curriculum and instruction subcommittee for input, and that's when Levine first saw it. He and his parents sent an e-mail opposing the design.
"Our opinions were basically ignored," Levine said.
Since nobody at that meeting could agree on a logo, Hayes said he suggested they scrap the idea.
"It was at that point where I felt it would be impossible to get a consensus, and to put something in the floor for 50 years without a consensus was a big mistake," he said. "My recommendation was to drop the idea. I was overruled by the School Committee."
School Committee President Annemarie Cesa said "there certainly wasn't an overwhelming groundswell" of support for a panther.
She said she realizes it's an issue now, and the board would be willing to change it.
"Of course we are," she said. "Obviously, there needs to be more of a community conversation than what we've had so far."
And she said that conversation should happen soon, because officials are time-pressed to make a decision about the floor.
However, the School Committee also has other priorities, like choosing a new district leader.
"I have heard from more people about the logo than I have about the superintendent search," she said, "and I find that disheartening."
Staff writer Cate Lecuyer can be reached at clecuyer@salem news.com.
