SOUTH BURLINGTON – A South Burlington community group calling itself the “Rebels Way Towards the Future” has proposed changing the names of the local high school and middle school teams from “The Rebels” to “The Clansmen.” There has been some recent controversy over the Rebel name and its ties to the civil war and the confederate flag. Group leader Jim Vicious spoke with The Winooski about the reasons for the proposed change.
“Look, we get that people are upset about the Rebel name,” Vicious admitted. “So we need a new name, but it has to be a compromise. It has to be a totally original team name, separate from the Rebels, while still maintaining that ‘is it racist?’ feel. We think The Clansmen fits the bill. It’s not spelled with a ‘K’ like some other, more negative clans, but rather with a ‘C’ like the popular app ‘Clash of Clans.’ Is ‘Clash of Clans’ racist? Of course not! But could it be if you wanted it to be? Absolutely. It’s a win-win.”
The Rebels Way Towards the Future, or “Rebels WTF,” showed a strong presence at the South Burlington school board meeting last week. Fourteen members of Rebels WTF attended and presented comments such as “Clans are groups of people with tight bonds! This name means unity!” and “Why didn’t you respond to my e-mail about the Clansmen? You should have checked your spam folder!”
South Burlington school superintendent reminded those in attendance that “The Clansmen” is the name of a popular bagpipe ensemble in Saskatchewan, and that the proposal could lead to confusion. When asked whether Rebels WTF members would support the school budget in the upcoming special election, Vicious replied “Absolutely, as long as we get our way.”
The school budget is expected to pass, barring any last minute negative campaigning from “People Offended Upsetting Things” (POUT) or “The Association of Naysayers, Troublemakers, Ruiners, Underminers, and Moaners.” (TANTRUM)
Other team names proposed at the meeting include “The Snowflakes,” “The Minstrels,” and “Teamy McTeamface.”
“The rebel name to me means pride. It had nothing to do with the Confederacy,” Stacey Savage, an alumnae, whose kids have also gone through the school system, said after the meeting. She’s part of a group that opposes the name change and said it may seek legal action.
Wow, she sounds just as crazy as the guy we made up!
Ignorance does not change facts. The name was linked to Confederate symbolism. A school most of all should not be promoting it or giving the message of disrespect to students of color– in VT and elsewhere. This Stacy has had ample opportunity to listen and be educated and has chosen not to hear. At a time when Confederate flags are increasingly popping up on homes in Northern V– ahem, you might want to check VT cemeteries to remember which side the state fought on — schools should not be promoting discrimination and erasure of people of color to the emotiinsl attachment of white people to symbols of white dominance. Give it a rest, Stacy.
If Stacy wants a name that means “pride,” may we suggest The Lions?
And may we also suggest a dictionary?
okay, so you don’t like white people, we get it. now go crawl back into your hole.
Ha ha,great article. I vote for “Teamy Mcteam Face”. Not overused, and comes with an instantly recognizable mascot.
One vote for Teamy!
Steamy Teamy McTeamface!!
The Snowflakes are in Charlotte.
– Great Site!!!