Took time to appreciate being an...

Took time to appreciate being an ‘Artist’

In response to your article regarding Laguna Beach High School’s

mascot (“Artists break with tradition,” Coastline Pilot, Sept. 6) I

offer the following thoughts:

First, I must admit that while attending Laguna Beach High School

several fellow classmates and I considered and desired to change the

mascot. Like many others before us, excited with the thought of

change, I approached other students and faculty in an effort to

generate support for the idea of changing the mascot. Upon presenting

the idea to a teacher many students admired, I was enlightened to the

importance and tradition of the Artist. Every student since 1930

knows the conflicts one experiences when comparing mascots with

college classmates, relatives and non-LBHS alumni. But therein lies

the beauty of being an Artist and what had to be explained to me to

truly appreciate the mascot.

When comparing mascots one finds that there are countless

Mustangs, Titans, Bears and other unidentifiable mascots that have no

significance to a school’s town or history. The Artist and the school

colors, maroon and white, stand for much more than just a “nickname”

that represents the school’s athletic program. In the literal sense

the Artist represents Laguna Beach’s past as an artists’ colony that

a majority of residents desire to honor and preserve as we move

through this new millennium. However, it also represents the unique,

progressive and creative nature of Laguna’s residents and community.

My wife and I feel the students and faculty that have supported

the change have made an uninformed and poor decision in changing the

mascot. Like many alumni have done in the past, we feel we should

stand proud of and defend our mascot. We hope residents and fellow

Artist alumni will join us in expressing their disappointment and

encourage the high school’s administration to rethink abandoning the

Artist.

CHARLES AND SARAH WILLIAMS

Laguna Beach High School Class of 1992

‘Breakers’ is more fitting name

I wanted to provide some positive feedback regarding the decision

to change the mascot.

I am thrilled to see the mascot changed, and in the words of some

of my fellow Laguna Beach High School alumni ... FINALLY!

I am a very sentimental person, but I do feel there was a need to

change the mascot and Breakers was an excellent choice.

As a student that was very involved in sports, both as a soccer

player and as an assistant athletic trainer, I fully support the

change. While I fully respect the heritage of Laguna Beach as an

artists’ colony, it was not very motivating to go to a brutal soccer

or football game and holler “go Artists.” Especially when we were

playing against a team like the Eagles or the Titans. I can’t tell

you how many times we were teased about our mascot (and our soccer

uniforms when they were pink). Don’t get me wrong, we were proud of

our school and where we lived, but with all the other areas of strife

and embarrassment in the life of a teen, who needs this added

pressure?

When you think of USC sports, what do you think of? Most people

think of the Trojans. When you look at professional sports teams --

do you see teams and fans that promote the mascot? More so than

anything. Unfortunately the mental picture of an artist does not

conjure up an image of a warrior preparing for battle. I realize that

schools have many different areas of study including art, sciences,

music, athletics, etc. However, it is typically athletics that a

school is known for, and having a fierce and mighty mascot is part of

that athletic department.

As always, and as seen by the letter written by Charlie Williams,

there is always a “for” and an “against.” It is kind of funny because

that is another thing that Laguna is known for ... debating over the

things to save or not to save. The canyon versus new homes; the trees

versus the views; etc. I think this is the first time I have promoted

progress. But considering that Breakers was the true, original

mascot, I guess I am still 100% for keeping Laguna as original as

possible.

Here are some of the reasons why I support this decision:

Many from my class and several classes before, as well as some

faculty that have been with Laguna Beach High School for many moons,

have commented that there seems to have been a decline in school

spirit over the years. Not only is this majority decision to change

the mascot a show of school spirit, but if it helps to build school

spirit over the years to come, then bravo Bryce Loidolt.

The Breakers takes us back to our roots (the school’s original

mascot) and covers more recent history (as well as history in the

making no doubt). I say that because when I think of breakers, I

think of the ocean, and when I think of the ocean I think of the

athletes that take on the mighty sword mother nature dishes out in

the ocean. Laguna Beach High School has had many students become well

known, if not famous, in the world of “ocean” competition. I have

seen many names in local papers, surf magazines and even in a couple

of surf movies. To name a few (not all) that are near to me in age:

Jeff Booth, Class of 1987; Tom Trager, Class of 1986; James Pribram,

Class of 1989; and Erik Nelsen, Class of 1990. And even though beach

volleyball is not in the water, it is close enough to honor Dain

Blanton, Class of 1990, who, along with his partner, won the U.S. a

gold medal in the Olympics. While these people, and many more, were

Laguna Beach High School Artists.......the word record “Breakers”

comes to mind when I think of some of them!

Laguna Beach High School athletes finally get a tough sounding

mascot ... truly a necessity when preparing for competition! If it

were not a necessity, we would see the Denver Artists or the Tampa

Bay Artists (currently known as the Broncos and the Buccaneers for

those of you wondering)!

Last but not least......GO BREAKERS!!!

AMY AVERY-MYTON

LBHS, Class of 1989

I like it. Much better choice than “Artists.” Give the students

credit, they know a winner!

GEORGE PALMER

Laguna Beach

Plenty of reasons change unnecessary

Here are my thoughts/opinions directed at no one in particular and

in no particular order.

1. If an athlete needs a mascot to motivate them they should not

be involved in competitive athletics.

1.(A) Marking an “X” in a box on a ballot because someone probably

told you to do so is not “school spirit.”

1.(B) Any embarrassment suffered by Laguna Beach High School

athletes in the past was more than likely due to their own

performance and the name on the back of their jersey, not the name on

the front.

2. Anybody who feels added pressure to their lives because of

their school mascot probably needs more advanced help than that being

offered by high school counselors.

3. Pro Sports mascots: Don’t recall ever seeing a Los Angeles

Laker mascot. A Laker also doesn’t seem that mighty and ferocious to

me. The Lakers have a loyal fan base for one reason -- they win and

they win on a consistent basis.

4. College Mascots: One of the most, if not the most successful

athletic programs in the history of the NCAA, is the Stanford

Cardinal (that is the color, not the bird) and their mascot is a

tree. I know that some of you who are old enough out there are saying

that they used to be the Indians. True. But all of their success has

come since the school changed its name to a color with a mascot that

is a tree.

5. I had a little bit of success as an athlete and a coach at the

high school level and one thing that I determined is that “school

spirit” is directly related to athletic success. There are some that

even go so far as to say that schools with successful athletic

programs are also usually very strong academically.

Athletic success at the high school level depends on many factors,

but in my opinion there is one common denominator among all

successful high school athletic departments and that is a total

“Commitment to Excellence”(to steal a line from Oakland Raider owner

Al Davis) in athletics from the superintendent to the school board to

the principal on down. It has nothing to do whatsoever with what the

team name is. The girl’s tennis, water polo and volleyball programs

as well as boy’s basketball (during the Bret Fleming era) have been

some of the most successful programs recently because of great

coaching and athletes who work hard and sacrifice.

6. It is amazing to me that as an athlete at Laguna Beach High

School we were able to defeat the Diablos, Mustangs, Hawks, Cougars

and Trojans in football, basketball and volleyball with a mascot

called an Artist. (All those banners hanging in Dugger were won by

proud, hard-working “Artists” who defeated hundreds of schools that

were obviously not as fierce as the mighty Artists.

Best regards to all and I wish nothing but the best to all former

and future “Artists.”

LANCE STEWART

Aliso Viejo

LBHS, Class of 1981

I heartily agree with Lance Stewart’s thoughts regarding the

proposed change in the Laguna Beach High School mascot from the

Artists to the Breakers.

Why are the current high school students entitled to decide the

fate of decades of tradition? Let’s get input from all interested

parties before a rash decision is made.

I am an Artist (Class of 1980), my wife is an Artist (Class of

1981) and my children are Artists (Classes of 2003, 2005, 2010 and

2012). We are proud of our heritage and tradition. Please rethink

this shortsighted attempt to throw it all away in some ill-advised

new-age scheme to improve our “self-esteem.”

Real Artists have no need for such pandering.

NICK ROSS

Laguna Beach

I am 1973 alumni of Laguna Beach High School. I am appalled to see

that anyone would consider a change from the Artists to the Breakers.

All the jeers throughout the years have been taken with

tongue-in-cheek humor and good hearty laughs. I have always thought

that being an “Artist” entitled me to certain creative licenses and

idiosyncrasies that “Artists” may be allowed. I don’t know what the

mascot for a Breaker may be, but foul air comes to mind.

I don’t know how the athletic director can think that he and the

current students have the right to change a long-standing tradition.

It is kind of like the out-of-area people that seem so determined to

change our town once they just discovered it. I think that all alumni

should be polled before any official mascot is changed.

MARK L. MILLER

LBHS, Class of 1973

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