Mckinley Caught in Identity Crisis
By D'Angelo Rucker
McKinley is having an identity crisis. Are we Techites, Trainers, or the McKinley Phoenix? There is a debate about this between current students and alumni. Many alumni want the school's seal and mascot to remain Tubal Cain, the seal and mascot since 1928. President McKinley, after whom the school was named, was a Freemason. Tubal Cain is a biblical and Masonic figure. He is the instructor of the workers of brass and iron.
Tubal-CainMcKinley was originally designed as a manual labor school dealing with carpentry, construction, and other technical skills. The name of the school back then was McKinley Technical Training School, where the name Trainers was derived from. In the early 90s, when the government became stricter on separating school from religion, the Tubal Cain motto was transformed into a simple "Circle T," and McKinley was known solely as the McKinley Techites. Techite simply means McKinley Tech native such as a Washingtonian is a native of Washington D.C., so McKinley went without an official mascot and seal for several years.
When McKinley reopened in 2004, a school wide election was held to determine what the new school mascot should become. The choices were between the Titans, Panthers, Bulldogs, and the Phoenix. The majority of the students who participated voted for the Phoenix, because of the meaning behind it which means "rebirth from the ashes."
McKinley Tech Rising Phoenix
But alumni will tell you that McKinley never died. Alumni say that the meaning behind McKinley Phoenix and the name Phoenix is meaningless.
"I don't like it at all," said Mr. Berry, Admissions and Alumni administrator, and 1965 graduate of McKinley. "You cannot change a tradition that has stood for more than 100 years."
Many teachers don't agree with Mr. Berry.
"The ideas of Tubal Cain no longer apply to McKinley, because McKinley is no longer a school dealing with manual labor," said Ryan Montgomery, history instructor. "We are a 21st Century school that is preparing students for the future."
The way it stands now, the students are The McKinley Phoenix and the Alumni are the McKinley Trainers. The seniors have put the Phoenix symbol on their jackets and class rings.
Even though there is strong opposition to the Phoenix symbol, not all alumni agree.
"It's not the same school as it was before, it's only the same building," said Jeff Stewart, attorney and a McKinley alumnus of the class of 1976. "We never had a mascot. A Circle T is not a mascot, it's a logo."
McKinley Principal David Pinder is proposing that there be a meeting held in which the alumni, the current students, parents, and the community come together and decide on what the official seal, mascot, and logo should be.
"I like the Phoenix, but it is not David Pinder's decision," he said.
By Anna Kinsman |
October 19, 2007; 11:51 AM ET
News
Previous: Author Walter Kirn Visits McKinley |
Next: McKinley Wins First Varsity Homecoming Game
Posted by: Don't let it Die | October 22, 2007 4:32 PM
Even though the Mckinely football team is known to suck, we are still the best when it comes to students and the teachers, and most importantly our education. They give us the best education that a school can offer.....Mckinely will never change, no matter what people may say about Tech, it's about the love the students and the teachers have 4 tech.....
Posted by: andrea | October 23, 2007 8:31 PM
I agree with David Pinder, we need to have a meeting with alumni, current students and parents. McKinley never died, since it's face lift, McKinley's official name is McKinley Technology High School. The school offers more than manual labor curriculm. However it is still the Trainers, expertly training students for the fast rising technological future.
Posted by: Stephanie Aiken Murphy | October 29, 2007 1:27 PM
The comments to this entry are closed.
Tubal Cain Rains!!!!
When the school was remodeled, the press kept saying the new McKinley Technology School. Well it was always a tech school in fact it may have offered more than less then. However, the spirit of Tech has never died. We love our school, our children, and children's children are attending this school, it sits in the same place with a remodeled structure, why would we change. The school and the legacy of the Trainer live on.
Some Alumni who never will let the Trainer Go!
Classes of 80, 81, 82, 83, and 84