BEVERLY — Anyone walking into the new Beverly High School will be greeted with a roar — from the panther mascot logo on the lobby's terrazzo floor.
After a long debate last winter between school officials and students concerning the $35,000 tile logo, the approved panther design was installed in the new high school last month.
School Committee members had originally approved a design that included the U.S. Navy ship Hannah because they thought it better represented the entire school, not just athletes. Upon seeing the proposed design, however, students petitioned the School Committee to use the school mascot instead.
"The panther represents the high school as a whole, and the Hannah represents Beverly as a whole," said Jake Levine, junior class president at Beverly High, who organized student efforts last winter. "Because we're the high school, we thought we should be represented. We're the Panthers as a whole."
A student Facebook group with more than 1,000 members and a petition with 500 student and faculty signatures advocating for a panther logo instead of the Hannah ship soon had the School Committee listening.
The committee and students came to an agreement in March on a version of the school's 50-year-old mascot to go on the lobby floor. Student leaders even voted on the final design.
"We went on a tour with the construction workers and (Superintendent James) Hayes, and the graphic designer was there, too, and they laid out the designs with us and we picked which one we liked best," Levine said.
While Levine and other students have yet to see the floor, they are proud of the fact that they contributed to their school's construction project.
"The students I worked with, we all really enjoyed being a part of the process," Levine said.
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