CoVil Gators? Ad Mont Patriots? Corning, Villisca discuss names

When two schools merge, there are plenty of serious issues to address,  finances, curriculum, staffing and transportation to name a few.

But last week, students from both Corning and Villisca attended a joint school board meeting to discuss something of great importance to them: the school's name and mascot.

Several students from both schools attended the joint school board meeting held at Villisca Wednesday evening. They sat patiently for over an hour while Superintendent Willie Stone read a draft of the whole grade sharing agreement and the board members discussed it.

Then the possibility of combining athletic programs before actual whole grade sharing begins was discussed at length.

Lora Top, Villisca High School and Middle School principal, discussed the last item on the agenda, choice of a school name, mascot and colors.

Top reported suggestion boxes were placed in each district's high school and elementary school. Students were asked to submit suggestions.  

Then, the Student Councils at Corning and Villisca reviewed the suggestions and narrowed the selections to six each. These were then presented to the Board.

Villisca's suggestions were as follows:

For name — Three Rivers; Ad Mont (A&M); County Line; CoVil (CV); Southwest Valley; Icaria Middle High.

For mascot —     Jaguars; Timberwolves; Patriots; Panthers; Bobcats; Mavericks.

For colors — Yellow, orange and black; Orange, teal and silver; red, blue, white; teal, black and silver; navy, orange, white; dark red, navy, silver.

Corning's suggestions were:

For mascot — Gators; Twisters; Wildcats; Cobras; Bearcats; Red Raiders

For colors — green, silver;  black, silver, navy; red, black; silver, navy ; silver, black, orange; black, silver, red.

It was agreed “Red Raiders” was not acceptable as a choice, as it is Corning's previous mascot. Corning will be asked to submit another choice instead. Also, school name ideas have not yet been submitted by Corning.

Corning  Board member Gary Goldsmith commented that he hoped they would consider a simple name like "Corning-Villisca" or "Villisca-Corning", so that people hearing it would actually know where the school was.

Top said that when all suggestions have been gathered, a joint meeting of the two student council's will be held and the total number of choices reduced from 12 to six school names, six mascots and six color combinations.

At that time all students in grades four through 10 at both schools will vote, and the final decision will be made.