EDITOR’S NOTE: As 2023 comes to a close, we’re looking back at a variety of the year’s defining stories in our region.
SCHENECTADY — A host of schools in the region changed their mascot in 2023, with Union College seeking a rebrand while local high schools moved on from using Indigenous-inspired imagery in the wake of a state mandate barring them from doing so.
Union College announced in February that it was exploring a change from Dutchmen, a moniker bestowed on the school’s athletic teams by journalists in the mid-20th century.
The college received over 400 nickname suggestions from students, staff and alumni before deciding on the Garnet Chargers in August, a name intended to honor the garnet color chosen by the college in the 1870s.
The college’s teams were previously known as the Garnet before the Dutchmen moniker was bestowed on Union teams, however, since then Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania has trademarked the Garnet. The Dutchwomen name was adopted for the school’s women’s squads when the college began admitting women in the 1970s.
“I recognize that change can be challenging, and in this case especially so for many of our passionate alumni who have embraced being a Dutchman or Dutchwoman,” Union College President David Harris noted in announcing the nickname change. “We sincerely appreciate all those who shared their views on this decision. One of our guiding principles in this work was the knowledge that to move away from the status quo, we needed alternatives that enabled us to embrace our tradition and history, and better engage our community, now and in the future.”
Local high schools with Indigenous-inspired mascots and nicknames were forced to reckon with potential name changes in April when the state’s Board of Regents approved regulations requiring all public schools in New York to drop the use of such imagery by the end of the 2024-25 academic year.
The Schoharie Central School District dropped its Indians moniker in April, adopting the new nickname the Storm.
Glen Falls Central School District also dropped its Indians nickname in the spring, rebranding as the Black Bears. Lake George Central School District retired its Warriors moniker in August, becoming the Lake George Lakers.
The Fonda-Fultonville Central School District is the latest locally to swap its nickname, with the district abandoning its Braves nickname and adopting the Valley Hawks in November.
A community referendum decided the new Fonda-Fultonville nickname, with residents choosing Valley Hawks over options including the Hawks, Ravens, Pioneers and Rockets.
“At the beginning of this process, we knew it would be difficult to select a mascot that properly reflected our school community,” Superintendent Thomas Ciaccio said in the statement announcing the name change. “However, our district understands the importance of pulling together, and while we may have differences, we understand how important this next step is for Fonda-Fultonville.”
The Niskayuna Central School District announced plans in June to appoint a special committee to replace its Silver Warriors nickname.
Officials in the Mohonasen Central School District in Rotterdam have weighed the possibility of retiring its Warriors nickname, with the district currently in a holding pattern as it waits to see if litigation will overturn the state's regulations pertaining to Indigenous-inspired mascots.
Mohonasen has begun the process to phase out its current logo which depicts silhouettes of three Native Americans.