Fast Times at Northcrest High
The “new high school names are politically correct” meme is picking up steam! Two letters in the News’ latest “Focus” section use the dreaded PC label. Another letter snarkily warns that Skyline and Northcrest may still “risk offending someone somewhere,” while one writer derides the proposed names as “comfortable.” What happened to the days when high school names were there to challenge, to provoke, maybe even to offend our delicate sensibilities?
This is just weird. Although my problem with Northcrest (if I actually *had* a problem with it, that is, it would be this) is that it sounds not only bland, but totally fake. Like the name of a high school you’d find in an MTV cartoon or an ABC after-school special. I guess this is what your headline alludes to. Sometimes I am not so fast.
posted by poly c on December 13th, 2006 at 11:53 amWhats wrong with Schembechler High?
posted by PondComet on December 13th, 2006 at 12:54 pmThe proposed names, appropriately, sound like the names of subdivions or suburban streets.
posted by Brandon on December 13th, 2006 at 1:08 pmIf the school becomes Schembechler High, can the team be called the “Dead Schembechlers”?
posted by anonymous on December 13th, 2006 at 2:37 pm‘whats (sic) wrong with Schembechler High?’
For starters, he had nothing to do with the Ann Arbor public school system. The UM already named a building after him, I see no reason why A2 needs to do the same. Don’t we have any local heros to name it after instead, especially people who actually went to school here??
posted by KGS on December 13th, 2006 at 2:51 pmis M-14 the ’skyline’ for the HS?
i look to the left - i see the HS, i look to the right - i see trees, what is the ’skyline’?
northcrest - i agree with the MTV/Subdivision Comment. Even Northcrest sounds like a bland name for a subdivision.
posted by KSM on December 13th, 2006 at 3:23 pmKSM–
The article in the paper said that one can see Ann Arbor’s skyline from the high school, hence Skyline High School.
posted by Young OWSider on December 13th, 2006 at 3:28 pmLocal heros? I vote for Deniz Tek High School.
posted by Radio Birdman on December 13th, 2006 at 3:31 pmI think Skyline is great. Very retro. Reminds me of Airstream trailers and shiny silvery things. It sounds like a place where Jane Jetson might have attended! I think the team should be called the sprokets!
posted by Peter Brook on December 13th, 2006 at 4:17 pmWould “Iggy Pop High” and “Weather Underground High” be too obvious?
posted by toasty on December 13th, 2006 at 5:23 pmI agree with your imagery Peter…”Skyline” beats the balls off “Northcrest” which sounds like it belongs in a fictional town on Disney. Skyline has a kind of John Waters flair to it.
posted by OFWinsurgent on December 13th, 2006 at 6:43 pmhow about honoring one of ann arbor’s former mayors? hiscock anyone? manly? belcher?
seriously, though, if it were up to me, i’d name it neil staebler high. (yes, i am that old.)
posted by peter honeyman on December 13th, 2006 at 6:48 pm“Don’t we have any local heros to name it after instead…”
I thought Schembechler was a local hero.
“…especially people who actually went to school here??”
Why is this a disqualifier?
I don’t understand the opposition to this. Schembechler clearly did a lot for the city, ie building a football tradition here of national recognition. If someone else is more deserving, say so. If you’re smitten with “skyline” and “northridge,” say why.
posted by Daniel Adams on December 13th, 2006 at 7:19 pmCount me as one who is against naming the high school after the Pigskin Messiahâ„¢. I made a few jokes about having the team mascot be “The Schembechlers” just because it’s so ridiculous sounding.
I don’t have anything against Bo, in fact I actually met him and he was very helpful to a friend who was hospitalized, but I am just one who is not in to additional football worship in the Deuce. It’s already insufferable.
But on the other hand, I’m moving this year, so what the hell.
posted by OFWinsurgent on December 13th, 2006 at 8:04 pm… I suppose “Nordlinger High School” is out of the question.
posted by Sketchy on December 13th, 2006 at 8:53 pm“…but I am just one who is not in to additional football worship in the Deuce. It’s already insufferable.”
I suspect that this is at the heart of much of the opposition to Bo High. What a shame.
posted by Daniel Adams on December 13th, 2006 at 9:41 pmWe could have the first George Walker Bush High School in America! Or better yet, we could rename the Frieze Building that right before they tear it down.
posted by Frank on December 13th, 2006 at 10:38 pmCombining local hero with something edgier, how about Shakey Jake High or The Guy Dressed Like Michael Jackson Breakdancing on Main Street Arts Institute? Is Stoney the Clown High School too U-centric?
posted by Scott on December 14th, 2006 at 1:10 amSkyline it is.
http://detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061214/SCHOOLS/612140470
posted by Daniel Adams on December 14th, 2006 at 7:18 amIf they wanted to veer towards hero worship, I’d recommend Hello Faz High.
posted by Jen on December 14th, 2006 at 9:43 amOi, gevald.
posted by Parking Structure Dude! on December 14th, 2006 at 9:44 amThose of us who have any familiarity with, or who spent any time in the radius of Cincinnati are going to think of Skyline Chili in association with this school.
How about making the school’s mascot the Dachshunds?
posted by archipunk on December 14th, 2006 at 10:12 amI like it. It makes me think of Skyline Drive in the Shenandoah National Park or of the Chicago Skyway.
I sort of like the Skyline Scrapers.
posted by Young OWSider on December 14th, 2006 at 11:19 amI wanted ACME Uncooperating High.
posted by Dave on December 14th, 2006 at 11:59 amFrank, that’s a brilliant idea. What irony!
posted by Patrick Hunt on December 14th, 2006 at 12:03 pmall i can think of is the skyline chilidogs…what a joke. the sad this is that i know people who were on the naming committee, good people with good ideas.
must have been diluted by sheer numbers…too bad it won’t be Tres High but instead, fricking Skyline-
posted by nymbani yangu on December 14th, 2006 at 1:55 pmthree words: iggy pop high.
posted by oh jesus on December 14th, 2006 at 2:38 pmHow about Shakey Jake High? What ever happened to Jake anyway? It’s better then Schembechler high because you can spell it.
I know Neil Staebler’s son, so….
posted by AAMom on December 14th, 2006 at 3:31 pmI had dibs on Iggy Pop High until aaio chose to remove my comment. Not sure why …
posted by toasty on December 14th, 2006 at 4:05 pmEddie Izzard High. Probably is.
posted by LittleB on December 14th, 2006 at 5:56 pmI’m late to the party, but my vote is for . . .
S.A. Bidlack High
If anyone knows the Huron and Tappan vet who was, without a doubt, the finest teacher I ever had the pleasure of meeting, then S.A. Bidlack is a name that you can stand behind.
posted by sheldon on December 14th, 2006 at 9:06 pmYes! Let’s vote for Mr Bidlack.
posted by srah on December 15th, 2006 at 1:46 pmAs a former Ann Arbor native who moves back I’d say that naming a high school for Bo Schembechler is just about the worst idea I’ve heard in a long time. If the school must be named for a person (which it doesn’t) I’d say that naming it for a teacher in the AAPS would be a great idea. Stan Bidlack is a great choice. Another would be Walt Scheider.
I grew up in Ann Arbor during the Schembechler era and other than being a football coach at UMich I can’t think of anything that he did. Certainly nothing for the city that in any way distinguished him. There are plenty of things in Ann Arbor, including schools, named for folks that did far more for Ann Arbor and the university that Schembechler ever did.
Here’s my memory of the naming of Ann Arbor high schools.
Ann Arbor High became Pioneer when Huron was built because that was the team name.
Huron was named for the river it was next to (and which gave the town the River Rats).
posted by colin j. on December 15th, 2006 at 5:51 pmHuron HS was named by an outgoing Senior class. (Now that I think about it…were the students from Pioneer HS?) Anyway, The way I heard it, the school board solicited names from, wooahh how daring…the students of the district and said that the winning name would be IT. Overwhelmingly, the students top vote was “The River Rats” (as it ws rigged, supposedly). So, given that it was a very, uh, permissive time (late 60s/early 70s), the school board HAD to go with that.
Don’t know how true this is but I cannot imagine the current school board even considering what students think. BTW…what name “won”? I thought they had voted and I haven’t followed up.
posted by wintersolstice on December 15th, 2006 at 8:08 pmThe chili dog, Skyline theme:
5-way High School
(or 3-way might be better)
posted by wintersolstice on December 15th, 2006 at 8:09 pmOh, OK, it’s Skyline. I 2nd the vote for “The Scrapers.”
That’s good.
posted by wintersolstice on December 15th, 2006 at 8:14 pmI support Bidlack High. And the sports team could be the “boils and germs.”
posted by former teach on December 16th, 2006 at 10:47 am“Bidlack High Bailiwicks,” perhaps?
posted by Joel Batterman on December 18th, 2006 at 5:42 pmI learned that word from Mr Bidlack… and I never even had him as a teacher!
posted by srah on December 19th, 2006 at 2:12 pmI was there when they selected the name. I think Huron was selected by the Board. They wanted to nickname to be The Hurons but said it would not be possible because EMU already had the name.
the kids’ sportsteams were calling themselves the Pool Rats, the Rink Rats, the Mat Rats etc. So when the vote came up , everyone said, how ’bout the River Rats.
posted by Luke on December 19th, 2006 at 4:01 pmBut EMU changed to the Eagles. Of course, there would be the same protesting against this team being the Hurons. Damn Injuns.
posted by Dave on December 20th, 2006 at 12:48 pmThe Brick Houses The AA Squirrels The Tree Townies The Swamp Things Ann’s Lovers
posted by Roberto on December 22nd, 2006 at 12:58 pmactually skyline was the name of a high school in this kids movie like a year ago… i feel bad for the kids who will have to go there… although they will be saved from the hell that is pioneer high school
posted by julia on December 28th, 2006 at 1:20 amI’ve always found the name “Pioneer” for a high school a bit offensive. Absolutely NONE of my ancestors were American-plunge-into-the-West-’cause-of-manifest-destiny Pioneers. I don’t find it to be a prideworthy moniker. Skyline sounds pretty lame to me as well. We don’t even have a skyline . . .
posted by LittleB on December 28th, 2006 at 12:44 pmlittleb, you would perhaps prefer “don’t blame me” high school?
welcome to america, btw.
posted by peter honeyman on December 28th, 2006 at 9:45 pmHow about ‘Everybody High’ — sounds both fun as well as naughty (which has a certain appeal). We could call the sports teams the Multiethnics. Kinda reminds me of the Eurythmics, and they’re *so* cool. Thanks for the welcome, but the most newbie folk in my family arrived in North America in 1913. They were grocers and stayed on the East Coast. The only pioneers I know about is the ones in camp songs.
Eh-chalutz leh mon avo-dah,
Avo-dah lah mon eh-chalutz.
Eh-chalutz leh mon avo-dah,
Avo-dah lah mon eh-chalutz.
Means something like pioneers all work together, together we all work as pioneers. I think. It’s *way* not about the american west, at any rate.
posted by LittleB on December 28th, 2006 at 10:53 pmmidwest, perhaps? mideast? middle east? don’t leave me hanging (gasp!)
posted by peter honeyman on December 28th, 2006 at 11:45 pmIsrael.
posted by LittleB on December 29th, 2006 at 12:01 amWhich, BTW, speaks only to my parents’ taste in summer camps, and not to my current (heartbroken, disturbed) feelings about the way things are now. Over there.
The next bit of that same song says something like - Peace be for all the earth, all on Earth be for peace. That’s what I’m hoping fervently for.
posted by LittleB on December 29th, 2006 at 2:31 pm“I’ve always found the name “Pioneer†for a high school a bit offensive. Absolutely NONE of my ancestors were American-plunge-into-the-West-’cause-of-manifest-destiny Pioneers.”
“Which, BTW, speaks only to my parents’ taste in summer camps, and not to my current (heartbroken, disturbed) feelings about the way things are now. Over there.”
And LittleB squeaks in just under the wire to win the first annual “Self-Satisfied Ann Arborite of the Year” award. Congratulations! I don’t know about everyone else, but such a display of virtue, I had to wipe away a tear.
And in 2007, keep your eyes open for “Self-Satisfied Ann Arborite of the Month”!
posted by Parking Structure Dude! on December 29th, 2006 at 9:22 pmI am aware of who my ancestors were and were not (and am capable of feeling excluded by terms like ‘Pioneers’ where it’s supposed to mean ‘us’ and I’m just as clearly not a part of that particular ‘us’ ). That, and I’m torn apart by what is going on in the war in the Middle East. But how silly of me. It was bad judgement on my part to express any kind of real feelings like those of social alienation or the pain, betrayal and confusion brought about by the war on a public forum. It just supplies mean people with ammunition.
posted by LittleB on December 29th, 2006 at 10:14 pmI support “ACME uncooperating high”, and propose “Space Chatter High”, or maybe, if you want to name it after a local hero, “Mickey Bogart High” I think that really has a nice ring to it. Also, they could be the “Big novelty sunglasses” as their sports teams names.
posted by JerBear on January 2nd, 2007 at 12:37 amumm…its a high school…get over yourself.
posted by Seth on January 10th, 2007 at 12:41 pm