Then Tomahawks, Now Titans

Titan becomes new ARHS mascot following retirement of Tomahawk

Students have selected the Titans as the new ARHS mascot. This image is a mere prototype of the actual Titans logo, which is still in the works.

Melissa Dai, Editor-in-Chief
February 11, 2022

Principal Sean Bevan revealed Algonquin’s new mascot, the Titans, through a video created by Northborough Cable during Period 6 today, Feb. 11.

Exactly one week ago on Feb. 4, students participated in a ranked-choice vote via Google Forms in which they ranked the five mascot options (Titans, Thunder, Eagles, Falcons and Nor’Easters) from most to least preferred. Administrators then narrowed down the raw data from the vote to the winner, the Titans, through a multi-step process of elimination. An elaborate description of the ranked-choice process, along with the official statistics of the vote, can be found in a document linked on Algonquin’s website.

“I was happy the data that came in was unequivocal,” Bevan said. “Ranked-choice voting sometimes might have some results that make it a little uneasy, but the Titans ended up with a straight-forward win. It made me feel confident that it was the right choice because kids felt strongly about it.”

The results of the vote aligned with Bevan’s personal preference.

“Of the five, Titans was probably the one I liked the most; it demonstrates strength, power and greatness,” Bevan said. “I think it’s a nice combination of being unique, but it’s also not strange or unusual. I think it’s that nice balance. It also helps that the ‘Tiny Titans’ is an adorable name [for what was previously the ‘Tiny Tomahawks’].”

Bevan assures community members that the entire renaming process was one of great complexity and deliberation, as it involved representatives of many demographics.

“It was a process that a lot of people participated in,” Bevan said. “In order to do this job well, it can’t be driven by personal interests as the principal or the superintendent; it really has to reflect the larger stakeholders. I’m proud that the people participating in the [Study Group for Mascot Review and the Renaming Study Group] represented a large cross-section of our community.”

After the controversy surrounding Algonquin’s retired mascot, the Tomahawk, Bevan hopes that the new mascot will bring the ARHS community together for many years to come.

“My goal is for people to unify around the Titans as an image,” Bevan said. “The Tomahawk was kind of polarizing, and people felt very strong feelings in one way or the other. My hope is that the Titans will replace some of that energy with something unifying.”