Flintridge Prep Refreshes Mascot Images



On October 17, Flintridge Preparatory School proudly announced new images to represent its mascot. The images represent and honor tradition while boldly reflecting the school’s vision for the future.

For several years, Flintridge Prep had no image to represent school spirit. The school faced a challenge. We wanted to remain the Rebels because, as a symbol of school spirit, there is no better representation than the one we see every day in our students, alumni, faculty and parents. We are original, spunky, passionate, witty, good-natured and creative. Our definition of a rebel is positive, distinct and has nothing to do with the Civil War.

Headmaster Peter Bachmann articulated the issue well in a video the school produced for the mascot unveiling, saying, “The word Rebel is too good a word to be associated with negative connotations. We’re all Rebels if we have the courage of our conviction and if we live the life we imagine for ourselves without being intimidated or pressured by anybody else.”

To figure out how to attach these characteristics of passion, wit, spunk and grit to a timeless image, the school hired a team of commercial artists, Graham Bradley ’05 and Reed Bradley ’08. The team conducted extensive research and consulted historical references about the pioneering spirits who settled the San Gabriel Mountains—the Rebels of their day—to come up with the new images.

“When we started designing the mascots, we looked into the history of the area and its first settlers. We learned a lot of interesting stories about them and the things that they did. Some of them carved the first trails in the mountains or the first streets in the area. One of them fought a battle to get students of different ethnicities into the local school district. They were really interesting people, really rugged. They seemed almost like tall tales to us. They really stood up for what they believed in. I think it was important to us that the mascots have that feel of being larger than life and standing for something important,” says Reed Bradley ’08.

In addition to honoring our school’s history, they were committed to creating mascots that are inclusive of the whole Prep community of today, not only as multicultural icons, but both male and female versions. We believe that these new designations tell the story of Prep’s coming of age, and will carry our school spirit far into the future.

“I think the new mascots really embody this strength and determination that we associate with Prep students, while at the same time really feeling at home in this location in the foothills,” says Graham Bradley ’08.

The mascot was revealed to the school at a Homecoming pep assembly. A commemorative graphic novel depicting the story of the search for an image was distributed to alumni and is available to all who visit the school. For more information about the process and to learn about the mascot’s history, visit www.flintridgeprep.org/mascot.

Flintridge Preparatory School, 4543 Crown Avenue, La Cañada Flintridge, (818) 790-1178 or visit www.flintridgeprep.org.

 

 

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