- Blue Ridge Unified School District 32
- History and Crest
A Brief History of Blue Ridge
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- In 1957 the Lakeside School burned down
- A new structure was built by the current Lakeside Post Office that became the new school for The Lakeside Apaches (Original “Mascot”)
- A member of the graduating class of 1958 (5 students) felt the mascot was inappropriate and offensive so another option was introduced (YellowJacket- 1 word)
- In 1960-61 the formerly separate Pinetop and Lakeside Districts merged into Pinetop-Lakeside District #32
- The student council in 1963, proposed a more sensible name to better represent both communities
- The choices were a) Pine Lakes or b) Blue Ridge (the name of the mountains behind the school) With the mascots either being The Mountaineers or The Yellowjackets
- On the morning of November 22, 1963, the student body voted and settled on the name Blue Ridge Yellowjackets. As they stood to leave, they were told that President Kennedy had been shot.
- The entire school came together on that day to support each other through one of the darkest days our Nation has seen...and with that spirit, The Blue Ridge Community rose to forge a true tradition of EXCELLENCE in every pursuit.
What Do the Symbols on the Crest Represent?
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The Lamp of Knowledge
- The imagery of the “lamp of knowledge” is rooted in the life and lore of the Greek philosopher Diogenes of Sinope
- This particular part of the story comes from ancient Greece, where Diogenes was searching for a wise man. Part of his story involved carrying a lighted lamp at all times looking for men of wisdom.
- So, the symbol of the lamp of knowledge has come to symbolize someone’s search for wisdom and knowledge; guided by the principles of scholarship, ethics, and philosophy.
- Additionally, the “light of knowledge” is a concept that is identified even earlier in Ancient Egypt . . .deep roots here. . .The Egyptian and Greek emphasis have blended into the imagery that accompanies the traditional principles of classical education and the imagery is broadly used in medicine and high education. This iconography appears on quite a bit of academic insignia in honors programs and in higher education.
- Additionally; the lamp of knowledge (life) is the official symbol of the nursing profession and of high education.
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The Classical Greco-Roman Wreath (Laurel)
- The Golden Laurel ties it all together. In typical iconography, the golden laurel wreath represents excellence and this is used to encompass the logo. . . it is a completion of the Classical Greco-Roman iconography in the logo.
- In the Greco-Roman world, wreaths were used as an adornment that could represent a persons’ occupation, rank, their achievements and status.
- The wreath that was commonly used was the laurel wreath.
- The use of this wreath comes from the Greek myth involving Apollo, Zeus’ son and the god of life and light, who fell in love with the nymph Daphne. When he pursued her she fled and asked the river god Peneus to help her. Peneus turned her into a laurel tree. From that day, Apollo wore a wreath of laurel on his head.
- Laurel wreaths became associated with what Apollo embodied; victory, achievement and status and would later become one of the most commonly used symbols to address achievement throughout Greece and Rome.
- Laurel wreaths were used to crown victorious athletes at the original Olympic Games.
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The Lyre (Greek Harp)
- The Lyre (Harp) provides a much broader representation of the arts, then specific notes or instruments and infers a deeper value to the board spectrum of the classical arts of music, theater/drama, painting, sculpting, etc. This is another prolific icon that is frequently found in academia, reflecting the values of the classical education that originated with the Greeks. Creativity was perhaps bet represented in Greek mythology through the characterizations of the Muse.
- The Nine Muses of the Greek Mythology were deities that gave artists, philosophers and individuals the necessary inspiration for creation.
- Hesiod reveals that they were Muses or Mouses in Greeks, as the Greek word “mosis” refers to the desire and wish. The word museum also come from the Greek Muses.
- The Nine Muses have been inspiring artiest since the antiquity and their countless paintings, drawings, designs, poems and statues dedicated to them. All artists of the Renaissance acknowledged their importance in artistic creation, dedicating their works to the Muses.
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Mountain Image
- This represents our community in the White Mountains of Arizona
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The Winged Foot of Hermes
- The Winged Foot of Hermes (Mercury) is a Greco-Roman mythological icon who was the messenger of the gods. His skills made him the god of everything that required skill and dexterity. His winged sandals made him faster than all of the other deities. He was highly skilled in many areas, but the image of the winged foot has become synonymous in modern culture with speed and athleticism, traits required to be excellent in competitive sports today.
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The Atomic Symbol
- In the 20th century, the familiar symbol representing the Atom (electrons orbiting a nucleus of protons and neutrons) became synonymous with an unprecedented age of exponential scientific growth. The atomic age has resulted in an era of transformative innovation that completely redefined that human experience, fundamentally changing the world forever.
- This system was incorporated into the crest to represent our desire to integrate innovative progress and practice into everything we do within the organization.
- It reflects a desire to push the edges of technological possibilities as we progress through the 21st It acknowledges that our learning community will be devoted to expanding our students’ skills in the essential areas of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) as they move into their adult lives.
